


Little Criminals (Repost)

by Lauren_is_a_moron



Series: Little Criminals [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, F/M, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Orphans, The parents are bad, Torture, but low key love their kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-12-13 19:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 129,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21002867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauren_is_a_moron/pseuds/Lauren_is_a_moron
Summary: ‘Now look what you've done.’ Another voice sent chills down her spine, and Betty straightened up, finding herself face-to-face with another boy. Also her age. He looked the same as Camila and the red-head, bearing the leather jacket over some band t-shirt. He had olive skin and dark hair poking from what looked like a knitted beanie shaped like a crown. 'You're definitely not who I expected.' he murmured. His eyes were a bright green, glaring into her own. Eventually, Betty found her voice. ‘Who the hell are you?’ she hissed.-Forsythe, Archie and Ronnie were orphans living on the streets, until they were taken in by criminals Fred Andrews, FP Jones and Hiram Lodge and raised as their own. Six years later, Betty Cooper’s quiet Saturday night in is interrupted by three teens who take her hostage, believing her to be Cheryl Blossom. Upon realizing she’s not the scarlet haired heiress, they give Betty a choice. They kill her family, or, being a witness, she joins them. She has no idea what she’s in for. How do you deal with kids who've been brought up to be ruthless criminals? Except that's not exactly what they are? Forced with a new fake name and identity, Betty's perfect life is turned upside down.





	1. It's a hard knock life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys.
> 
> This is really hard for me to say, and I’m currently in a state of denial. I wanted to say something sooner, but I’ve been stuck. Because I genuinely don’t know how to go forward with this. Last night, someone in my family/friends and I got into an argument. It was a petty argument, one that I figured would die down. But I was wrong. That person then went onto my ao3 account on her phone, and deleted every single Riverdale fic that I’ve written since 2017. I did not know she was doing this. Until my phone started pinging, which was my gmail TELLING ME one by one- 50 fics being deleted. And I couldn’t stop it. I knew that once you delete a fic, it’s gone. And she had highlighted the whole list. I wish I could say that this was a glitch made by the website, but I’m not found to lie, and try and sugar coat what has truly killed me inside. I tried to say it was, but it doesn’t make sense. How 50 fics could be deleted by a “glitch” 
> 
> I wouldn’t do that to someone I disliked. I wouldn’t even THINK about doing it. Because to wipe someone’s whole history? It’s unbelievably sick. I can’t even put into words how crushed I feel. I don’t even think there is a word. Right now,,,, I don’t know what to do. My entire history has been wiped. I’m publishing Little Criminals again because it’s finished, and I figured the people who read it would see this message. I’m planning on publishing the four fics I was working on before they were deleted; 
> 
> Little Blossoms 
> 
> Adventures in Babysitting 
> 
> American Vampire 
> 
> This Wicked Fallout 
> 
> As well as collabs: 
> 
> Error 
> 
> Let’s See How Far We’ve Come 
> 
> I don’t want to spam the feed with my fics, so I’ll put them back - every day. Maybe two each day, including the collabs. (Alex And Abby - I’ll republish Error and Lets See How Far We’ve Come As soon as possible.) If I’m honest, I feel fucking broken. This account has been my saving grace for the past three years, and I feel like it’s grown with my liking for the show - as well as my writing ability. And to know that every fic has gone, it makes me feel physically sick. But I’m also an idiot for trusting her with something so dear to me) it’s a childish mistake. But I didn’t think she would stoop that low. I didn’t think ANYONE would go that low. 
> 
> I hope you guys are still there, and just tell me which fics you want me to republish. There were so many one shots, and half finished ones, but I’m not sure which ones you would like back. I hope you see this, and you’ll continue to follow my fics, as I gradually republish them. Let me know if you're still here <3
> 
> Love you guys.
> 
> Little Criminals: Originally Posted: August, 2017

Prologue

~*~

Forsythe didn’t have a second name. He liked it that way. It made him feel more cryptic, more mysterious. Though sometimes, especially the cold nights when his only warmth was the combined body heat of his closest friends Archie and Ronnie as they curled up together, the three of them pressed together to fight the Winter nights. The biting cold nipped at the skin, and he began to imagine a different life. A life where he didn’t have to dumpster dive for food and get chased down dark alley’s by strangers that frankly terrified him. He’d have real parent, as well as Archie and Ronnie. Because that’s who they were. They were his family.

Forsythe didn’t remember a childhood before The Orphanage. It had always been him, Tatty pigtails Ronnie, and little Ginger head Archie. That’s what the kid’s at the orphanage called him anyway. Archie was teased a lot for his hair colour, for his freckled cheeks. But he didn’t shy away and try and ignore their bullying. He had a tendency to fight back. Most of the time with his fists.

Forsythe had lost count how many times he’d had to drag Archie out of fights. He had always been the one sticking a Band-Aid over the cut in Archie’s eyebrow, after he’d been punched by an older kid.

It was just the three of them. First against The Orphanage. Then against the streets. Against the world. But Forsythe couldn’t help wonder what it what would be like to have an actual name. A family. Archie and Ronnie were the only family he had. It had been them, the Three Musketeers, since he could remember. Well, the furthest back he could remember was The Orphanage. Forsythe was nine years old, and was sure his birthday was somewhere in August. He just wasn’t sure which day. The Orphanage didn’t celebrate birthday’s. Ronnie and Archie were a year older. Sometimes they teased him for being the youngest. 

Archie and Ronnie also lacked second names. Ronnie had two pigtails and a stained dress she’d been wearing since they had ran away from St. Bartholomew’s. She had swiped a jacket from one of the older kids the night they ran away, and had been wearing it since. It was far too big so she had to roll the sleeves up her long thin arms. Though she loved it. She said it made her look ‘adult.’

Forsythe only knew the dark haired girl as ‘Ronnie’. He figured she might have had a full name, back when she had actual parents. But the girl liked her name. She thought it sounded tough. Not girly. Ronnie was strong for an eleven year old.

She was only one year older than both Forsythe and Archie, and considered herself the leader, or rather, the mother, of their little gang. She sung songs for them when the wind was too strong, when Archie had a fever and was burning up. Street Life was bad, but they all agreed it was better than the Orphanage. The adults were mean. They barely let them see sunlight. Plus. It wasn’t like they were going to get fostered. Even when they were forced into their best clothes, when Ronnie’s hair was forcefully brushed into a manageable ponytail, and Forsythe’s hair was cut to a manageable length. It didn’t matter. Because the three of them had a pact, one that they would never break. They would intentionally sabotage any chance they had at getting fostered.

Whether it was being exaggeratedly loud, or just plain rude- it worked. They were never fostered, but that had its negatives. That meant they had to deal with Nancy, the house mother. A rather round woman with hair the colour and texture of straw. She had a knack for picking on Ronnie. It started with refusing to the feed the girl. But that was okay. Forsythe shared his sausage rolls, and Archie made sure the girl ate his pudding. But as Ronnie grew up, it became bullying. The woman would physically grab and yank her to dinner, when she didn’t feel hungry. And would humiliate her in front of the other kids when she had head lice. Forsythe and Archie had caught Ronnie trying to run away numerous times. On her seventeenth attempt, they finally decided to join her. 

So they decided to run away from St. Bartholomew’s. Which seemed great at first. No adults. No being told what to do. No Nancy. Except now it was empty belly life. Rot and smelly life.

_Full of sorrow life. _Well, not exactly. He had them. Ronnie and Archie. They made life liveable.

Forsythe lets out a small sigh as he watches his friends. No. His mind corrects him. They were his brother and sister. Ronnie laughs loudly, her giggles echoing in the night as she stands in her filthy dress which could no longer be called the colour white. She’s waist deep, in glowing blue water as the pool lights shine across her face. She had golden skin which caught the light and a gap between her two front teeth when she let out a shriek, covering her face when Archie splashed her. ‘Archie!’

The stink of chlorinated water tickles Forsythe's nose as he stares hard into the pool, at the rippled water lapping his grimy toes. He leans back and stares at the dark sky and wonders what it would be like to actually be a little kid in his garden, paddling in the huge pool which took up half of the property. 

He imagined a mother and father he never knew. Smiling and waving as he leaned on his back, staring up at the starless sky. His chest ached at the thought of leaving the property and going back to the creepy alleyway that had set up some kind of home. Well, if they could call a bunch of soiled newspapers and a cardboard arch a home. They did their best, but sometimes Forsythe craved a blanket. He craved warmth and light. Not the dank, dark and creepy alleyway.

They’d chosen this house purely because Ronnie desperately needed a wash, and Archie had always wanted to swim in a real, actual swimming pool. Forsythe knew the house was owned by someone rich. Someone with loads of money. His stomach grumbled. He was starving. The last thing he had eaten was a hotdog Ronnie had dived in a dumpster for. The smell had been driving her crazy. They had shared it between the three of them. It had been the best thing he’d tasted in his life.

Forsythe is content watching the others splash around. Ronnie ducks under the water before resurfacing, her dark hair plastered to her face. Archie has disappeared under the depths. He can’t help let his gaze wander, across the pool yard, over to the sliding doors leading into the property. His stomach grumbles. He bet whoever owned this place had a fridge full of food. His mind starts to dawdle as he stares, hard, at the lock on the door. His fingers tingled. Could he really do it?

‘Boo!’ Forsythe swallows a yell, instead letting out a laugh as Archie emerges from the water, his hands curled into makeshift claws. The boy has never looked so happy, his grin stretched across his freckled face, brown eyes shining. Archie wades over before hoisting himself out of the pool and sits himself next to Forsythe, dangling his feet in the turbulent water. ‘Why aren’t you coming in?’ the redhead asks through strands of ginger hair sticking over his eyes. 

Forsythe shrugs. ‘I’m too hungry.’ He admits, and Archie nods a little, before slipping back into the water, and grabbing his feet, giving them a sharp playful tug. Forsythe nearly falls forwards, and lets out a squeak. ‘Ow, Arch!’ he tries to yank back his feet, but the redhead has a firm grip on his ankles. ‘Come on!’ he giggles, and Ronnie joins him, silently breaking the surface in front him. Her arms are folded and she leans against the side of the pool. ‘I need shampoo.’ She announces, pouting.

‘I don’t think dumpsters have shampoo, Ronnie.’ Archie says, before giving Forsythe’s ankle another tug. The grin never leaves his face.

Forsythe groans. ‘Archie It's too cold!" he moans at the older boy. Archie giggles, splashing him. "It's clean though!" He says excitedly. Forsythe has to admit it. When the spray of water washes against his skin, he feels the tiniest bit clean. Like a simple splash of water could wash away months of empty tummy's, tear- stained faces and dirt and grime practically engrained into his skin. He was sure the t-shirt he was wearing was glued to his flesh.

Eventually Archie and Ronnie tire of swimming, and end up climbing out of the pool, dripping wet. Forsythe is the youngest, but sometimes- he swears he’s the smartest. ‘You’re both soaking!’ he holds back a giggle as he stares at Archie and Ronnie. They stand there shivering, their arms wrapped around their chests. Archie had been too excited to bother stripping before he jumped in, so he was stuck in soaked-through fraying jeans and his batman t-shirt. ‘It was worth it, though.’ He says quietly, his gaze on the rapidly growing pool of water stemming around him as his clothes dripped pool water.

Ronnie’s ‘white’ dress sticks to her, and she looks uncomfortable, standing barefoot as the dress sticks to her legs. Luckily, she still had her _dry _ jacket. Archie had put it over her shoulders since she couldn’t stop shivering. Forsythe frowned at the two of them, his mind exploding with worries. How were they going to get dry? It was far too cold for them to dry naturally. The temperature in Toledo in the Winter dropped like crazy. He studied Archie’s expression. It was definitely regret.

‘You’re never going to dry.’ He mumbles at the two of them. This time he’s not smiling. He’s scared. What if they caught something and got really ill? Forsythe finds himself navigating around the pool, his wet feet slapping the smooth concrete as he made his way over to the sliding doors. He pressed his face against the glass, peering inside. He tried hard not to look at his reflection. Though it was hard not to. He was a small stocky and skinny boy who really needed a haircut. Strands of dark hair hung in his eye, almost obstructing his vision. He looked pale. Months on the streets had turned his cheeks gaunt. Forsythe shook his head and looked past his reflection, into the house.

The doors led straight into the kitchen. His mouth watered as he spotted their huge fridge, sitting at the edge of the kitchen. There was a bowl of fruit on a counter top and he his stomach growled. ‘Are you thinking about breaking in?’ Forsythe jumps a little, bounding away from the door, finding his friends, still dripping wet, standing beside him. Archie looks curious, his eyebrows cocked. His arms are still wrapped protectively around his chest. He’s still shivering. Ronnie had thrown her jacket over his shoulders this time. Forsythe wondered if they were taking turns wearing it.

He shrugs, his gaze on the lock. It looked so easy. He squats in front of the door, peering closely at the fancy metallic keyhole. ‘Hairclip.’ He murmurs, sticking his hand out, in Ronnie’s direction. She frowns a little, before pulling out her silver hair-slide and pressing it into his palm. ‘Are you really going to try getting in?’ she asks, leaning close to him. Archie sighs, blowing into the glass of the door. ‘I wish this was my house.’ He murmured softly. He draws a smiley face in the condensation with his shaking finger. Forsythe feels his stomach twist. He wished it was his house too.

‘So how exactly are you planning on getting in?’ Archie asks, casually leaning against the door. His eyes are wide and alert, his gaze bouncing to the garage at every noise. ‘Dude, they could come back at any moment!’

Forsythe shrugs. He positions Ronnie’s hair slide in just the right place, digging it in the lock. ‘I saw it in a film, once.’ He murmurs, before giving the clip a sharp twist.

Forsythe expected the clip to break, or an alarm to start blaring. Because that was their luck. It always had been. When they snuck into restaurant kitchen’s, attempting to grab some freshly baked bread, or maybe luxury chicken and sausages. But they always got caught, and dragged out like animals. Forsythe considered every day and night a fight for survival. If they didn’t scrounge for food, if they didn’t somehow get lucky, finding a half eaten burger on the side-walk, they didn’t eat.

Forsythe’s eyes lit up, however, his lips curling into a grin. Maybe they weren’t so unlucky after all? He stumbled backwards when one of the glass door slowly slid open, and Ronnie let out a squeal of excitement. Archie shakily moved the other sliding door, and it slid open easily. ‘No way!’ he cried, nearly tripping over his feet. Forsythe’s heart was pounding as the three of them took a slow, steady and unsure step into the kitchen. The room was huge with multiple countertops, a huge dining table, warm orange walls and a cheery vase of flowers sitting on the dining table. There were two entryways, one leading to a silver spiral staircase, and the other leading into what looked like a sitting room. Forsythe took all this in, and reached out a shaky hand, grasping for Archie’s.

‘Who lives here?’ Archie breathed. His gaze was on multiple pictures framing the walls. They looked like guitarists, artists of some kind. Ronnie let out a shuddery breath. ‘It’s beautiful.’ The other two nodded in agreement. The three kids were frozen, still on the threshold of the sliding doors.

‘We’re...we’re just going to get something to eat, and get dry.’ Forsythe said. His voice was shaking. He was already moving towards the fridge, his gut doing somersaults.

‘I’m going to try find dry clothes! Ronnie ran off, sliding on the marble floor, giggling as she fought to keep her balance. Her wet feet made slapping noises as she climbed the staircase.

‘I hope they have a shower!’ she called down, then after a second, there was a squeal of delight from the girl. ‘They do!’

Archie and Forsythe exchanged a smile. ‘Just hurry up!’ Forsythe yelled back. But he couldn’t stop the grin stretching across his lips. If he had time, he was going to have a bath too. His skin tingled at the thought of water, which wasn’t freezing cold rain. Real, actual warm water.

Forsythe yanked open the fridge. His eyes were stinging with tears as a bright light hit his face, revealing shelves and shelves of food, piled on top of each other. Archie stood next to him, his gaze particularly on a giant chocolate cake sitting on the top shelf.

Forsythe swallowed what he was sure was going to be a hysterical cry of delight. He was already grabbing it off of the shelf and placing it on the countertop. The two boys leaned over the cake. Forsythe was ravenous. He had never been so hungry. His stomach twisted and turned as he stared at the chocolate frosting decorating rich dark sponge and fresh whipped cream. Before he knew what he was doing, he was reaching out and grabbing a huge handful of frosting and shoving it into his mouth. Archie giggled, carving his dirty fingernails into the cake and digging in. The boys started to tear the cake apart, laughing. Forsythe became hungrier and hungrier the more he ate. Chocolate smeared his face and chin, but he didn’t care. Archie was already diving back into the fridge, pulling out a pizza box.

‘Is that pizza?’ He found himself asking, through a mouthful of cake. It didn’t look like the pizza he knew. That had been street pizza. Pulled out of dumpsters. Sometimes he had to pick off the cigarette buts and bits of mold. Archie only nodded, his brown eyes shining. Forsythe stared at the pizza box in Archie’s arms. There were two gigantic slices of pizza, smothered in tomato sauce and stringy cheese. Archie let out a moan, grabbing a slice and taking a huge bite. There were no cigarette butts. No mold. Forsythe could have cried.

He took a slice too, and was demolishing it without even giving his tongue a chance to taste. Archie grinned at him, a combination of tomato sauce, cheese and chocolate smeared his face. Though Forsythe was pretty sure he looked the same. ‘This is so good!’ Archie cried, savouring another bite.

‘Well, what have we here, Fred?’ a gruff chuckle shocks the two of them out of their stupor, and Forsythe drops his slice, his stomach vaulting into his throat. Archie lets out a hiss of surprise, stumbling backwards into the cool metal of the fridge. Forsythe stands completely frozen, his heart doing flips in his chest. He wants to speak, but he’s too afraid. His lips feel like they’re sewn shut.

‘It seems we have some visitors.’

-

Ronnie stands under the shower spigot, fiddling with the dial. She had already smothered her dark hair with strawberry smelling shampoo and caressed it into her scalp. Just like the women in hair commercials did. She let out a breath as she tackled with the dial. She hadn’t had a bath, or bathed in clean water, since she had stood in the middle of a rain storm.

She remembered Archie and Forsythe trying to drag her back into shelter, but she had yanked away from them. She had stood, barefoot on the concrete as the heavens opened above her. She remembered crying out in shock and pain, holding back the tears as rain-water lashed on top of her, soaking her dress through. But it had been worth it. Even if she _had_ caught a cold, and given it to both Archie and Forsythe. She had finally been clean. She had finally felt like a ten year old girl.

Though this was different. Ronnie was standing in a sparkling white bathroom, her dirty feet smearing muck in a huge marble tub decorated with little figurines and bottles of body wash. Ronnie cocked her head with a frown as she tackled the spigot. ‘Come on!’ she mumbled. She was freezing cold, her skin prickling with ice. She had flung her dress on the furry rug which lay on the tiled floor. She had kicked it away, a twist of disgust on her lips. She would do anything to wear fresh, clean clothes.

Ronnie let out a squeak of surprise when the showerhead started gushing boiling hot water, and she hissed in pain, grabbing the dial and yanking it back a few notches. The water turned warm then, and she let out a soft sigh, ducking her head, letting her skin be enveloped, caressed by the warm stream which pooled at her feet. She blindly reached out for some body wash and squirted it all over herself, revelling in the strong smell snaking into her nostrils. It was sweet on her lips, bitter on her tongue. She couldn’t help letting out a sob. Why couldn’t this be her life? A thought suddenly strikes her as she massages the sponge over her dirty skin, scrubbing it so harshly her skin began to sting.

_Why did her parents give her up? Was she really that bad of a baby?_

She’s surprised then, by a sudden knock at the door. She grasps for a towel, climbing out of the bath and staring down at her toes, and holding her hands out in front of her. Clean. Her feet were scrubbed clean, glistening their real, natural, chestnut glow. ‘Don’t come in!’ she squeaked, wrapping a towel around herself. She revelled in the steam emitting from her skin, in the tangy smell in her hair.

There was no reply for a second, and Ronnie rolls her eyes. ‘Archie, Forsythe, if you’re planning on barging in, I’ll throw a bottle of shampoo at you!’ she whipped her wet hair back, letting it soak against the warm fluffy towel press against her back. ‘Guys?’ Her heart did a little skip as her voice bounced back at her. Still no reply. Ronnie took a deep breath. There was definitely someone behind the door, but if it was the boys, they’d shout back. They wouldn’t want to scare her.

‘F- Forsythe?’ she whispered. She let out a hiss, when a voice broke through the silence. But it wasn’t Forsythe. It was a much older voice.

‘Is that this little shit’s name? ‘ a soft chuckle. ‘Now, if you’d like to come out of our bathroom, please. We just want to talk.’ The man’s voice terrified her. ‘Oh, and please be decent.’

Ronnie couldn’t help herself. ‘Where- where are my friends?’ she shouted back, her voice twisting into a frightened cry. There was another chuckle, from what sounded like another man. Her heart sank. ‘They’re right here, kid. Currently covered in last night’s lunch.’

Ronnie froze, before her instincts kicked in. She hurriedly tied the towel around herself with shaking hands before grasping for the heaviest bottle of body wash. She held it defensively at her side before edging towards the door. ‘Can you step away from the door, please?’ she whispered softly.

‘Alright, we’re moving back.’ One of the men said. ‘Quit playing games and come out, kid.’

Ronnie swallowed harshly before reaching out and twisting the silver door knob once. Her heart flipped in her chest and she immediately regretted it when the door swung open easily, revealing three pairs of combat boots pushed into the carpet. She grasped her make-shirt weapon, the shampoo bottle, tighter in her hand, as she looked up, finding herself staring into the faces of three grown men. Strangely, they didn’t look angry. Only amused. The man in the front had olive skin, short dark hair and a gleaming smile as he peered down at her. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans. There was a nose-ring sticking from his left nostril. ‘Hello there.’ He smiled at her, but she couldn’t help notice the sleek black object practically carved into his hand. He held it casually at his side. No wonder Forsythe and Archie were cowering behind the three men. She noticed the boy’s were covered in food. It smeared their faces and clothes. Her mouth watered.

_Was that chocolate?_ She eyed Forsythe, and he only ducked his head, guiltily.

The three man standing in front of her had weapons like her. Except, they weren’t holding shampoo bottles. She felt a spike of fear in her gut. Gun’s. They had real, actual gun’s.

‘Please.’ She found herself pleading. She dropped the shampoo bottle. It landed with a thud on the carpet, and she felt the noise in her chattering teeth. She stared fearfully at the olive skinned man. ‘Please don’t kill us!’ she whispered. ‘We- we were just hungry. I’m – I’m sorry-‘

The other guy standing behind the olive-skinned man, choked out a laugh. He had curly dark hair and stubble. He wore a plaid shirt over a shirt. ‘Kill you?’ he scoffed. ‘Why on earth..?’ his gaze seemed to travel to his own hand, which was grasping a gun. He chuckled. ‘Ah, right.’

‘They look homeless.’ The final man smirked. He also wore plaid, but his stubble was scruffy, his hair a spiky mess on his head. ‘Aint that right, kids?’ 

The olive skinned man sighed. ‘Alright guys,’ he straightened up, folding his arms. ‘How about we go down to the sitting room and talk?’

-

The sitting room was like nothing Ronnie had ever seen. It was huge. Almost bigger than St Bartholomew’s itself. Though maybe she was exaggerating. Her mind was spinning. She marvelled at the flat screen sticking from the walls. It was frozen on what looked like a gaming screen. There was a huge gun on the screen in mid-fire in what looked war town Europe. The man who introduced himself as Hiram had given her one of his shirts and some shorts. The shirt felt like a dress on her, but she easily rolled up the sleeves. It had a swear word written on the front. She pretended she hadn’t noticed. Though she had definitely heard the words spoken at the Orphanage. Nancy said it a lot.

She sat in front of a mahogany coffee table while a roaring fire blasted her skin with warmth. Her hair was still damp, but she had never felt cosier in her entire life. Her bare feet sunk into the soft carpet and her eyes felt heavy. She felt like curling up into the plush leather, sleeping for days.

Hiram set three cups of hot chocolate on the table. ‘This is what kids like, right?’ he shrugged, before taking a seat next to the two other men. Ronnie knew this was wrong. These were strangers. They could be anyone, do anything to her and the boys. Except Hiram’s smile was friendly.

Archie and Forsythe squeezed next to her on the comfy sofa. They too had been provided with warm clothes. Archie was in a long sweater and jeans he had to keep yanking up his waist.

The three men who apparently owned the home sat opposite them, squashed together like the kids. Ronnie was waiting for the mood to change, for Hiram to start yelling. But he didn’t.

‘So,’ Hiram clears his throat. ‘Are you guys going to tell us your names or should we continue calling you Little Shits?’ he leans forwards, eyes sparkling at Ronnie. ‘What about you, sweetie?’

Ronnie hadn’t touched her hot drink, even if she really wanted to. When she had tried to, Archie had caught her arm. ‘It could be poison!’ he hissed, and she’d nodded, reluctantly setting the cup back down on its bright green coaster. Archie and Forsythe didn’t speak. The two of them were staring at the floor. ‘I’m Ronnie.’ She decided to reply, with a small smile. Her fingers flitted through damp strands of her hair. She tugged on it nervously.

Hiram smiled back. ‘Ronnie, huh?’ he cocked his head. ‘Is that short for something?’ he asked, and she shook her head. ‘The Orphanage called me Ronnie.’

The other man, Fred, he had introduced himself as, hummed in acknowledgement. He stood up and began pacing the room. ‘So you guys are orphans?’ he asks, turning to the kids, frowning. His eyes are on Archie. ‘What about you, son? What’s your name? How old are you, like eight?’

Archie frowns. ‘I’m ten and a half!’ he exclaims. The man behind Fred, chuckles. ‘Yeah, Fred. Get his age right.’

Archie ducks his head, ginger curls falling in his eyes. ‘I’m Archie.’ He mumbles. ‘I don’t have a second name.’

Fred smiles at the boy. ‘Fred Andrews.’ He murmured, gesturing to himself. His lips curled into a smirk. ‘Am I that scary?’ Archie doesn’t shy away from the man’s smile, however. ‘Hello.’ He says softly. Even when Forsythe nudged him with his shoulder, rather violently.

‘And I’m FP,’ the other man, the guy with the stubbly beard, raised his arms in a greeting.

‘Wassup kids.’ He smiled at the three of them. Though his gaze seemed to stray on Forsythe. His expression changing. A lazy smile became wide eyes. He frowned at the boy, before fiddling in his pocket and pulling out what looked like an old knitted beanie. It looked like a crown. ‘Here.’ FP chucked the hat at Forsythe, who caught it, a look of surprise lighting up his face. ‘It looks like you need it.’ The man mumbled. ‘Plus. You’re starting to look like a fifteen year old emo.’ 

‘Thanks.’ Forsythe muttered, before putting the hat on. He found himself smiling. It felt warmer. FP shrugged. ‘Any time, kid.’ He replied. He scrubbed at his chin. ‘What do they call you, Jughead?’

Forsythe winced. ‘What?’ he frowned, at the strange name. FP shook his head, with a laugh. ‘I dunno, it’s what I think of when I look at you. The name has a ring to it.’

Forsythe shuffled uncomfortably. ‘My name’s Forsythe.’ He muttered. Forsythe didn’t look back up at FP, but he was repeating the name over and over again in his head.

_Jughead. _Forsythe shivered. It did sound better.

Hiram cleared his throat, his gaze on Ronnie. ‘So, Ronnie,’ he says, standing up slowly. He doesn’t go near the girl, but he does tower over her. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a string of what look like pearls. Ronnie’s eyes twinkle, her gaze on the shining stones dangling between the man’s fingers. ‘I don’t know about you, sweetheart,’ he murmurs softly. ‘But I think Veronica suits you more.’

‘Hiram.’ Fred growls. He also gets to his feet, his expression darkening. He glances at the kids, who now look frightened. Though Ronnie can’t seem to able to tear her gaze from the pearls still in Hiram’s hands. ‘If you’re thinking what I _think_ you’re thinking, you’re crazy!’ the man hissed. ‘It’s borderline kidnapping, Hiram!’ Archie flinched at the word _kidnapping_ and shuffled uncomfortably.

The other man scoffed out a laugh. ‘Oh come on Freddie, we’re hardly on the right side of the law.’ He smirked. ‘Plus, I saw the way you looked at the redhead. Didn’t you always want a little boy ever since Mary’s miscarriage?’ The two men turned to stare at Archie, who ducked his head.

‘Plus,’ FP cuts in. He stands up and rounds the sofa, standing behind the kids. ‘Nobody will miss ‘em. They’re orphans.’

Ronnie felt her heart flutter. She shoots up without hesitation, stumbling a little. ‘We should go.’ She said, her voice shaking a little. ‘We- we don’t talk to strangers.’

‘Sit down, missy.’ FP gently pushes her back onto the sofa. ‘Look,’ he sighs. ‘We’re not going to hurt you, for fuck sake, we’re trying to-‘

Fred rolls his eyes. ‘Do you even know how to talk to kids?’ He clears his throat and knelt in front of the three of them. ‘What we’re trying to say is that..’ he hesitates, before standing back up, facing Hiram. ‘No, this is wrong.’ He mumbles. ‘Hiram, we need to take them back to the Orphanage.’

‘Freddie.’ Hiram’s voice is firm. ‘I got this.’ He faces the kids. ‘Okay, we have an offer for you.’ He smiles at them. FP and Fred still look wary. ‘Are you _sure_ about this?’ Fred hisses.

‘Huh.’ FP murmurs. ‘I’ve always wanted a son.’

‘Yep.’ Hiram doesn’t tear his gaze from Ronnie, Archie or Forsythe. ‘Alright kids. Here’s our deal. You broke into our house, ate our food and mucked up our bathroom. Do you want to go back to the streets?’

Ronnie shook her head automatically. As did Archie, and after hesitating, Forsythe muttered a ‘No.’

‘Okay!’ Hiram clapped his hands together. ‘Okay, so here’s our offer. We either feed you to the hungry rats in our basement-‘ his lips twist menacingly, but his eyes are teasing.

‘Hiram.’ Fred warned.

‘Relax, Freddie, I’m playing around! Anyway! How would you kids like to live here?’ he smiles kindly. Ronnie opens her mouth, but Hiram isn’t finished. ‘On one condition.’ He says.

‘What’s that?’ Archie asked, his voice quivering. Hiram cocks his head. ‘Honestly, kid. There’s nothing to be afraid of. The condition is that we get to raise you as our own, which means,’ he points at Archie. ‘You become an Andrews.’ Then he smiles at Ronnie. ‘You, sweetheart, a Lodge.’

‘And finally.’ His gaze is on Forsythe. But FP is already standing up, excitedly. ‘Mr. Weird Name is now Jughead Jones.’ He says, a grin etched on his face. His gaze is on Forsythe. ‘What do you say, son?’

Forsythe finds himself smiling back and nodding. There was something about FP’s smile that made him feel- safe. For the first time in a long, long time. Fred glanced at Archie. He still looks unsure, but when the boy looks up at him, brown eyes wide and excited, he can’t help smile.

Hiram nods to himself. His gaze is on the three kids, anticipating their reply. ‘Well?’

There’s a small hesitation between the three of them, before they each nod. Hiram grins excitedly. ‘Okay, great!’ he surveys the kids. ‘Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones and Veronica Lodge.’ He smiles softly at them, a twinkle in his eyes. ‘Welcome to your new home.’

=

CHAPTER ONE – SIX YEARS LATER.

~*~

‘Is there anyone there with you?’

Betty Cooper couldn’t help rolling her eyes at her mom’s usual paranoid self. Even when she was over a thousand miles away, her mother still managed to make her feel like shit. Betty stretched out on her bed, pressing her face into her mattress. Her phone was balanced strategically in front of her, her mother on speaker. Though she was seriously considering turning the damn thing off, and cutting the call. Every phone call was a lecture. Her parents had been gone for a day, and it felt like they had never left. ‘No, mom’ she mutters, her gaze on her patchwork duvet. ‘It’s just me.’

‘Elizabeth, I know you’re the more responsible one out of you and your siblings, but please don’t burn the house down. I know you’re sensible, honey. But may I remind you of a couple of years ago when-‘

‘When I had a party and some kids smashed your prize vase.’ Betty grumbles into her arms. ‘Yes, I know, mom. I’m pretty sure you’re never going to let me forget that.’

‘Elizabeth.’ Alice Cooper’s voice crackles when Betty picks her phone up, holding it to her ear. ‘Mm?’ she murmured, sliding off of her bed. She wandered over to her window and gazed out at the twilight sky. Betty sighed and turned her bedroom light on. She hated the dark. ‘Mom, I’ll be okay.’ She said, walking out of her room and down the hall. ‘Can you stop worrying? I’m sixteen years old.’

It was the first time in her whole life, that Betty had the house to herself for a week, since her parents and five year old little sister Polly, had gone to Spain for their anniversary. Her older brother, Chic, had just gone to college. Betty would have gone on holiday too, if it wasn’t for school, and her important positions in almost every extra-curricular. She was president of the school newspaper, a River Vixen cheerleader, and vice president of the Junior book club.

Of course she thought about throwing a party for the River Vixens, but her mother had shot that thought down automatically, after reminding her that she knew every neighbour, and they would be ‘checking up on her’.

Her mother goes silent for a second, as Betty wandered downstairs, revelling in the sweet silence of the empty house. She idly strolls into the kitchen, flinging open the fridge and peering inside. She still had the phone awkwardly between her cheek and shoulder. ‘Please make sure to lock all the doors, tonight’ Alice says, in her usual to-the-point firm way.

‘I’m going to.’ Betty muttered. She dug in the fridge for a coke, and then grabbed a tub of ice-cream, kneeing the door shut.

‘Mom, like I’ve said a million times, I’m not a kid.’ Betty grabbed a spoon and took her treats back into the sitting room and collapsed onto the sofa overlooking a flat screen. The Netflix home screen flashed as she started to flick through the vast amount of titles. ‘Betty, you know how much I worry-‘ her mother started to say, but Betty cut in. ‘Mom, we live in Suburbia. We know all the neighbours, and Midge’s mom and dad are just across the road if I decide to pull out the Ouija board.’

‘Betty, that’s not funny.’ Betty swallowed the urge to mutter ‘yes it was’ and cracked open her soda, taking a sip. ‘Just go have fun with dad, mom. It’s your anniversary.’

Her mother sighed. ‘I love you, Betty.’ She said softly, and Betty found herself smiling. ‘I love you too, mom.’ She mumbles. ‘I’ll call you just before I go to bed, okay?’ She doesn’t wait for her mother to reply, before ending the call. Betty dug into the ice-cream, leaning comfortably into the plush leather of the sofa. She ended up settling on an episode of Black Mirror.

Thirty minutes into Black Mirror, her phone, which was lying on her chest, vibrated, and she jumped, nearly sending the half full bag of Dorito’s flying from her lap. Betty reached for her phone, peering at the screen.

** NOW: Kevin, 8:06PM: WHERE ARE YOU???**

Betty sat up and began to text back, but the image of Kevin she had taken last Summer, as he held a pineapple with a twisted grin, flashed onto the screen. Betty accepted the call, shoving the phone to her ear. She could hear the party she wasn’t aloud to be at, and she bit her lip. Within a second, her friend, Kevin Keller, was yelling down the phone. She winced.

‘Betty, in case you haven’t noticed we’re sophomores, and this is LITERALLY the biggest party of the year!’ Kevin’s voice was slightly slurred. He put so much emphasis on the word ‘literally’ that Betty thought he was actually going to explode. 

‘Kev, I told you. I’m house sitting.’ She paused. ‘Besides, I’d rather be educated by the political and slightly terrifying universe of Black Mirror.’

She could hear the usual party ambience in the background. Yelling, laughing and loud chatter. Some pop song she hadn’t heard of practically vibrated through her speakers.

‘Really?’ his reply came fast, and in the background there was a sudden cacophony of yells chanting for beer pong. Betty shrugged. Though she knew Kevin couldn’t see it. She hugged a pillow closer to her chest. ‘It’s good!.’ She defended, her eyes on the TV screen. Kevin snorted. ‘Betty, you watch that show just to freak yourself out and it’s not working. Do you know how many times you’ve flinched at your phone? Zero.’ He paused. ‘Watch something fun and trashy!’ he shouted. Betty plugged her ear with her pinkie. Sometimes Kevin’s voice gave her a headache. Especially when he was drunk.

‘How about The Avengers?’ Kevin continued. ‘It’s fun, it’s trashy. There’s explosions. Perfect.’

Kevin was right about Black Mirror. She mostly watched it just to creep herself out. Betty sighed, turning the TV off and rolling onto her stomach. ‘Kevin, I’ve told you a million times. I’m saving the Marvel films for a time when I’ve broken every bone in my body and am bed-ridden.’

‘But you’re missing so much! Did you know there’s a third Avenger film coming out?’

‘Yes.’ Betty jumped a little at a sudden knock at the door. She straightened up, craning her neck and peering at the window. Who was knocking at this time of night?

Another knock, this time persistent, made her jump again.

‘What was that?’ Kevin hissed. The phone line crackled. ‘Was that a knock?’ he dramatized a gasp of shock. ‘Betty Cooper, do you have a date?’ she didn’t even have time to answer as she slowly got up off the sofa. ‘Is it Reggie Mantle?’ Kevin continued to yell down the phone. ‘Because I said like a million years ago that I had dibs!’ Okay, maybe Kevin was a little more drunk than she thought. Though all Betty’s attention was suddenly on whoever was at the door.

‘I’ve gotta go.’ She murmured, quickly tapping END CALL before Kevin could protest. Betty slowly made her way to the door, warily. Especially when the knocks kept coming. She considered not answering it, but she was in the hallway, and the light was on, so surely whoever was standing on her doorstep could see her. Betty pocketed her phone and rested her hand on the door handle before yanking it open. Betty didn’t know who she expected. She found herself staring at a girl around her age with sleek dark hair framing a heart shaped face. Her skin was practically glowing underneath a tight black dress hugging a perfect figure, a bound leather jacket complimenting it. Betty looked down at her own outfit, which consisted of her pastel pyjama shirt with a unicorn on it with sweatpants. She felt underdressed. Why hadn’t she gone to the damn party?

Though it took Betty a few seconds to notice the girl was crying. Her eyeliner was smudged down her face. She lifted an arm and swiped at her eyes. Betty opened her mouth, but the girl seemed to catch a hold of herself. She sniffed loudly and laughed a little, rubbing at her red eyes.

‘Hi.’ The girl’s voice was choked. ‘I’m- I’m sorry..’ she seemed uncomfortable as she crossed one boot over the other. Betty couldn’t help staring at the girl’s legs. They were modelled to perfection. ‘My boyfriend just broke up with me, and- and I’m not from around here.’ The girl whispered, her gaze on the ground. ‘Can I- can I use your land-line to ring my daddy? I just want to go home.’

Betty frowned. Since when did anyone her age say the word ‘Daddy’ un-ironically? Though upon looking at the girl, really taking her in, Betty began to understand. There was a string of pearls hanging from the girl’s throat. They looked pretty damn expensive. Betty fingered the base of her phone in her pocket. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind. _Remember, Betty. Don’t let anyone inside the house._

‘Sure.’ Betty smiled at the girl. ‘You can use my phone.’ She pulled it out and pressed it into the girl’s palm. The girl looked grateful. ‘Thank you so much!’ she looked like she was going to cry again and hurriedly dialled what Betty presumed was her father’s number. The girl briefly glanced up at Betty as her fingers tapped the screen, her eyes were a pretty green colour that Betty suddenly envied. ‘I’m Camila by the way.’ She smiled, before pressing the phone to her ear.

Betty nodded. ‘I’m-‘ she started to say, but was cut off when Camila sighed and shook her head, bringing the phone away from her ear. ‘There’s no answer.’ She muttered. Then her eyes flicked to Betty. ‘Could I have a glass of water?’ she asked. ‘I’m sorry if it’s impolite, I just feel a little sick.’

Betty hesitated for a second, before nodding. Camila seemed like a nice girl. Plus, it was only for a glass of water. She nodded. ‘Um, yeah, I’ll get you one. Just come into the hall while you wait.’

Camila let out a breath of relief. ‘Thank you!’ she hugged her arms around her chest and took a dainty step over the threshold. ‘It’s freezing out there!’ Camila laughed a little, and Betty started to back into the kitchen. ‘Ill get you that glass of water.’ She quickly retrieved a glass from the sink and filled it with water, before she remembered something. ‘Uh, Camila?’ she decided to pour herself a glass since she was thirsty. ‘Would you mind shutting the door behind you? We can drink in the living room if you-‘

Betty was halfway out of the kitchen, before she noticed Camila was gone, and there was another stranger standing in the hallway, leaning against the door. Betty’s stomach flipped over. ‘Hello?’ her voice was strained. ‘Are you, uh, are you-‘ _Camila’s boyfriend?_ Came into her mind. After all, it made sense that the girl’s boyfriend (or ex boyfriend) would follow her. She waited for an answer, but none came.

The boy stood, as if obstructing her way out of the front door. He looked her age. He had dark red hair falling in his eyes, pale skin and freckles decorating his face. His lips were curved into a smirk. He was also bearing a leather jacket, like Camila and wore skinny jeans, combat boots and- Betty lost her breath. He had a gun.

The boy’s eyes were calculating, his smirk morphing into a boyish grin. ‘Nice house!’ he remarked, his gaze bouncing over the walls, her mother’s prize portraits, school picture of her and Polly. He straightened up, swinging the gun playfully, as if it was a toy. Betty still held the two glasses of water, her hands shaking. With a startled cry, she whipped around, only to slam into something soft. The glasses slipped from her grip and shattered on the floor, splashing her with icy cold water.

‘Now look what you’ve done.’ Another voice sent chills down her spine, and Betty straightened up, finding herself face-to-face with another boy. Also her age. He looked the same as Camila and the red-head, bearing the leather jacket over some band t-shirt. He had olive skin and dark hair poking from what looked like a knitted beanie shaped like a crown. 'You're definitely not who I expected.' he murmured. His eyes were a golden brown, glaring into her own. Eventually, Betty found her voice. ‘Who the hell are you?’ she hissed. ‘Get-‘ she stumbled over her words. ‘Get the hell out of my house!’ she was about to push him, or maybe kick him in the balls, but all her fight dispersed when she saw what he carried.

‘Hush.’ The boy smiled down at her, but it was anything but friendly. He held a semi-automatic by his side. Betty could only stare at the boy and swallow the scream building in her throat. ‘Alright, let’s get on with it.’ Camila was suddenly strolling into the room, holding a coil of rope and a roll of ductape sticking from her mouth. ‘Sorry, honey.’ She smiled widely at Betty, her voice muffled from the tape.The girl shrugged when Betty did her best to glare at her. ‘It’s just business!’ she grinned sweetly.

Betty struggled to speak, but the beanie-wearing boy was already grabbing her, wrapping her arms around her waist. ‘KJ, get a chair.’ He ordered the redhead, who nodded and bounded into the kitchen, coming back with one of her mother’s dining room chairs and setting it down.

‘What?’ Betty tried to tear herself out of Beanie-boy’s grip, but it was almost impossible. ‘What are you doing? I don’t understand!’ she started to cry, but beanie boy scoffed. ‘Crocodile tears.’ He muttered.

Betty was dragged, kicking and screaming, before being tied to the chair, her arms restricted behind her back. The three kids stood in front of her. ‘I think that went pretty well.’ Camila smiled, before offering her hand for a high five to the boy's. The red-head, or ‘KJ’ grinned, his gaze on Betty. ‘Dad’s gonna be proud.’

Beanie-boy smirked. ‘God, you’re such a daddy’s boy.’ He nudged the red-head, who shoved him back. ‘Says the boy who cried all night when FP went out on business.’

‘I didn’t cry! I had hay fever.’ Beanie- boy hissed. Though he ducked his head. Betty felt like laughing. What was happening? She yanked at the ropes twined around her wrists.

Camila rolled her eyes. ‘Can you guys act, like, the least bit professional? This is our first gig and you’re acting like children.’

Beanie-Boy scoffed. ‘Are you kidding? Hiram hasn’t even let you hold a gun yet.’

Camila snarled. ‘Shut it, Cole! You know for a fact I’m ready to use a gun!’

Beanie-boy or ‘Cole’ grinned. ‘Are you forgetting the time when you accidently shot that mobsters finger off?’ he looked smug, and Camila shoved him. Hard. ‘I was fucking thirteen!’

‘Can we get back to the job?’ KJ hissed, rolling his eyes. He almost looked _apologetic_ at Betty.

It only lasted a few seconds though. ‘So,’ he took an intimidating step forwards, his expression darkening. ‘Cheryl Blossom.’ He murmured. ‘We’ve heard you’re worth a lot of money.’

Betty flinched. ‘Who’s that?’ she hissed, and the boy frowned, his expression riddling with confusion.

Camila cut in, folding her arms. ‘Don’t play dumb, you stupid bitch.’ She growled. ‘Your father would pay a great deal of money to make sure you were safe.’

Betty stared, baffled. ‘My father barely makes minimum wage!’

It was Cole’s turn to frown. ‘Wait,’ he said. ‘You are Cheryl Blossom, right?’


	2. Welcome To The Family.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead, Veronica and Archie are some effed up kids. But they're still teenagers. Also, Kevin is oblivious.

_It was a windy day. Wind reminded Jughead of street-life. Of blustery winds blowing the makeshift blanket from his shivering body as he pressed himself further into Ronnie and Archie for warmth. But he never had been warm. It had always been too cold. He hated the way the wind ragged at his hair, trying to rag the knitted beanie from his head. He hated the way it stung his cheeks, turning them a rosy red. Jughead shivered. It was just like back on the streets. But how could he complain? After all, it was arms practise. Every Wednesday afternoon, after morning tutoring, the three of them would go out into a patch of countryside, long fields and woods, that their parents owned._

_They would be taken with their respective adoptive parents and be taught how to use a fire arm correctly. Jughead had been scared at first, but FP’s voice was soft and calm as he told Jughead how to stand and position himself. (‘Just stand like this. Own the gun, Jughead. Don’t be afraid.’)_

_(No, Jughead. Hold it like this.’ FP held the twelve year old’s arms firmly, his hands wrapped around the hand-gun that the boy held between shaking fingers. ‘See?’ he murmured. ‘Your finger goes there on the trigger.’ Jughead nodded, swallowing hard. His gaze stuck to the target a few feet away._

_'That’s right.’ FP grinned, slapping the boy on the back affectionately. ‘You’ve got It.’ Jughead grinned as his adoptive father slowly let go of the gun, allowing him to take complete control. He wrapped his fingers around the metal handle and took a deep breath, focusing on the target._

_‘Just take your time.’ FP murmured, standing aside. Jughead nodded and steeled his feet into the ground. He could feel his heart in his ears, blood pounding in his drum. His finger tickled the trigger, and his stomach fluttered. He could hear Veronica a few feet away, yelling at her father. When he turned his head, he saw her. Standing there in the blustery wind, her dark hair flying everywhere as she practically howled at her father, who was next to her. His expression unreadable from that angle._

_'Jughead and Archie have gun’s!’ she was yelling, stamping her foot. Since Hiram had taken her in, adopting little ratty pigtails Ronnie as his own and transforming her into Veronica Lodge, his incredibly stylish and beautiful young daughter, the girl had also developed an attitude. If she didn’t get her own way, she flew into a fit of screams and stamping-feet, and even high profile nefarious Hiram Lodge, could barely control her. ‘Veronica, sweetheart.’ He said, with an edge to his tone. The girl glared at him, her fingers fiddling with the pearls around her neck. Jughead noticed she always seemed to play with them, when she was anxious or upset. Or, in Fred Andrews’s words; ‘Being a brat.’_

_'I’m just not sure you should be using a gun, yet..’ The man told her sternly, and the girl let out a choke of laughter. ‘Is this because of Big Johnny’s finger?’ she hissed. ‘Daddy, I was having a bad day!’_

_Jughead chuckled a little. Veronica was the eldest out of the three of them, and Hiram was still wary of her using a hand gun, ever since...the accident. Little Johnny had been the leader of a gang Jughead had already forgotten the name of. He seemed harmless. Well, at least that was when Jughead was around him. However, the last time Jughead **had**_ _seen him, was in the back of an ambulance, after Veronica had tried to use her training gun as a (fool proof) tactic to kill a lingering spider._

_Jughead had laughed. He hadn’t been proud of laughing, but Archie and Veronica were laughing- of course after getting over the shock of shooting a man’s finger off. It had been pretty funny. Jughead had heard many colourful words that day. Mainly aimed at Hiram, Fred and FP for having ‘psycho children.’ Veronica had been given a stern talking to and wasn’t aloud to attend her favourite class (How to get away with murder) for a whole month. Jughead liked to boast about how good that class was._

_Jughead spotted Archie a couple of yards away, sitting with Fred Andrews. There was a case spread in front of them as the red-head sat cross-legged, holding various different bullets while the man explained which ones they were. Surprisingly, Archie had passed his first weapon test. Having perfectly shot his target perfectly. Fred had bragged for days, and even gone as far as buying the boy a PlayStation._

_Jughead definitely wasn’t jealous._

_'C’mon Jug,’ FP was prompting him. ‘Just take the shot, son. You need to learn how to defend yourself.’ Jughead nodded, a grin spreading across his lips. ‘Hey, Archie!’ he yelled. The red-head’s head whipped up from his studies, turning to look at him. Fred Andrews continued to fiddle with the bullets lying in the grass. But Archie’s attention had been grabbed. The red-head pushed unruly curls out of his eyes, his lips curling into an excited grin. ‘What?’ he yelled, his voice carrying on the tumultuous breeze._

_‘Watch this!’ Jughead felt deep satisfaction knowing Veronica was watching. He took a deep breath and teased the trigger with his finger, getting a last reassuring look from his father._

_'Please!’ Jughead liked to block out the cries. It messed up his concentration. He kept telling himself that the man, whoever he was, had tried to hurt his father. He pretended there was no splash of scarlet, or that he could hear the crunch of the bullet hitting the man’s cranium. Sometimes FP covered his ears for him. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger, letting out a yelp when the gun jolted in his sweaty hands, But the agonizing screech of his target drowned out his own cry, which quickly morphed into a cry of excitement. But Jughead didn’t look. He’d been taught not to. He stood frozen for a second, ears ringing, until he felt a pair of familiar arms wrapping around him. ‘Atta boy!’ FP claps him on the shoulder. Archie let out a whoop, and Veronica snorted loudly._

_ '_ _You missed his head, idiot!’_

~*~

Betty took a breath, trying really damn hard not to scream. The three kid’s stood in front of her seemingly speechless. The red-head had gone pale. ‘Who’s that?’ her voice came out broken, disconjointed. She wanted to kick herself. ‘My name is Elizabeth Cooper.’ She was shaking all over, her heart slamming harshly into her chest with every breath. The ropes twining her wrists dug into her flesh making every jolting movement agonizing. ‘Well, shit.’ Cole scoffed, taking a step backward. ‘We’ve got the wrong girl.’ He breathed. Camila scoffed. ‘No kidding, idiot! Where’s her red hair?’

Cole turned to KJ. ‘The records definitely said _she_ was Cheryl Blossom?’ he gestured to Betty, as if she was a rare species he had only just discovered. The redhead shrugged. ‘It said she was a Blossom.’ He seemed to take sudden interest in the floor. Cole growled. ‘But not _Cheryl_ Blossom?’ he hissed.

KJ looked sheepish. ‘I don’t think I looked at the intel right.’ He muttered. Cole hissed out a breath. ‘Your dad’s gonna murder you.’ He said. But he sounded almost smug. KJ’s head whipped up, his lips curled into a snarl. ‘And yours isn’t?’ he cocked his head, eyebrows shooting into his hairline. ‘Sorry, what did you do again last week?’ his lip curled. ‘Accidently take out some innocent kid?’

Betty was sure her heart had stopped. Cole must have seen her expression, because he looked almost gleeful. ‘You’re just jealous because I’ve had my first kill of the year.’ he was speaking to KJ, but staring right at Betty. ‘Plus, dad didn’t even care. He actually congratulated me.’

Betty went cold all over._ Of the year?!_

The red-head scoffed. ‘Why am I not surprised?’ then he looked at the ground. ‘I’ve had my first kill.’ He mumbled under his breath. Betty stared at the two of them. These kids were- crazy. They were joking about killing people. About _murder_. They took innocent lives.

‘Rabbit’s don’t count as your first kill!’ Cole said matter-of-factly before letting out a deep sigh. ‘We’re getting off track!’ he hissed. ‘The point is, we’re screwed. Blondie here isn’t that soul-sucker Blossom.’

Camila giggled. ‘How did we get her mixed up with an heiress?’ KJ shrugged, turning to Cole. ‘Weren’t you the one who picked her out of facial recognition?’ he smirked a little.

Cole recoiled like he’d been slapped. ‘So it was a joint effort failure.’ He muttered, ignoring KJ’s smirk. ‘Though now we’re got _her_,’ he once again motioned to Betty, like she wasn’t even human. He eyed her, his green eyes suddenly lighting up, his lips morphing into a conceited smile. ‘Unicorn Girl.’ He muttered a new nick-name. His gaze stuck to her pyjama t-shirt. Betty swore he giggled a little.

Betty felt shivers slide up and down her spine, just from the way he was looking at her like she was a fresh slab of meat. ‘Unicorn girl?!’ She couldn’t help spluttering back. Cole ignored her, turning to the other two. ‘She’s a witness.’ He muttered, going back to business. ‘If she’s not Cheryl Blossom, she could start blabbing to anyone.’

Betty saw her chance, and damn well took it. ‘I wont tell anyone!’ she cried out, trying to once again to vault out of the chair. ‘Just please let me go! I- I won’t tell anyone, I – I promise.’

Cole shook his head. ‘Sorry dude,’ he murmured. ‘If we let you go, you could tell anyone, and..’ he leaned forward, his breath tickling her face. Betty leaned back with a cry of frustration. ‘We can’t have that.’

‘Yeah,’ KJ agreed. ‘If we let her go, she could run off and sing like a canary.’

‘No, I won’t!’ Betty insisted, letting out a hysterical laugh. ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

‘Too late, Betsy, or Betty- whatever the hell your name is.’ Cole grumbled. ‘You’re in too deep now, I’m afraid.’

Betty flinched at a sudden vibrating noise and her heart fluttered. Was that her phone? But she watched in quiet disdain as Camila pulled out a rose-gold iPhone from her jacket pocket and pressed it to her ear. ‘Daddy?’ she murmured. Her expression darkened. Cole swore under his breath and shot a glare at Betty, as if it was _her_ fault. ‘Hi dad!’ her lips stretched into a smile. ‘Uh, everything’s fine!’

Camila frowned. ‘No, I’m not lying.’ She screwed her face up. ‘How can you tell?’

‘Hello?!’ Betty hesitated, before yelling. ‘Listen, I’m- I’m not who you think I am! My- my dad isn’t rich, he can barely afford the car insuran-‘ she let out a squeak when Cole snatched the roll of duct tape from Camila’s hands and ripped off a piece before slamming it over her mouth and holding it there.

‘Shut,’ his tone was dark and merciless. His eyes cold. Betty found it hard to believe they had gone from amused and playful to deadly dangerous in a matter of minutes. ‘Up.’

Betty struggled violently. ‘Let me go! Get the hell off of me!’ she tried biting through the tape, but the boy only pressed harder, until it got progressively harder to breathe. KJ came over too, kneeling in front of her. He was smiling, but there was a glimmer in his eyes. ‘Betty.’ He said, like she was a child. ‘Shut the fuck up or we’ll shoot you in the head.’ Betty stopped muffling under her gag. Her heart was hammering. Though a thought was idle at the back of her mind. _These kids have just gone from petty arguing to threatening my life_. Betty shivered. She wouldn’t judge them by their behaviour again.

‘And nobody wants that.’ Cole’s whisper in her ear made her skin crawl. ‘Too much mess.’

‘Uh, Yeah. About that...’ Camila started pacing the room, bringing Betty’s attention away from the two psycho’s, for a second. The dark haired girl nodded her head, made some acknowledging noises and then glanced at Betty. ‘Okay, so Ar- I mean KJ, he kinda screwed it up. She took a dramatic breath. ‘Turns out the girl isn’t Cheryl Blossom,’ her lip curled in disgust at Betty. ‘She’s just some prissy blonde bimbo with like, no fashion sense whatsoever.’ The girl waited for a second, tapping her heel. KJ and Cole, standing on either side of Betty, looked nervous. Both of their gazes were stuck to the dark haired girl as her black fingernails dug into the side of her phone.

‘No, but she is _a_ Blossom.’ Camila said, frowning. ‘Just not Cheryl Blossom herself.’

_No_. Betty wanted to scream. She wasn’t a Blossom!

Camila motioned for Cole to rip off Betty’s gag. ‘What’s your name again?’ she asked casually, pulling the phone away from her ear. As if she was asking the weather. Cole took pleasure in ripping the tape off. It was fast and it stung like a bitch. Betty let out a pained gasp, tears stung her eyes. She tried not to think about KJ’s grin, knowing they had inflicted pain on her. ‘Cooper!’ she gasped out.

‘My name-‘ she did her best to strain as far away from Cole as possible. ‘My name is Cooper!’ Camila rolled her eyes. ‘Dramatic, much?’ she pressed her phone back to her ear. ‘Her name’s Cooper.’ She said. Then the girl went silent as she listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the line.

After a dragged out minute, Camila nodded. Her expression was getting progressively darker, as if she was about to lash out at someone. ‘I understand, Daddy.’ She brought the phone away from her ear and shoved it back in her pocket. Her cheeks had turned scarlet. She turned back to her partners in crime, and Betty. The girl glared at her. Betty shivered, fiddling with the ropes around her wrists. If looks could kill. Betty felt like crying out in frustration, but KJ seemed to be anticipating it. His gaze was stuck to her, as if he was waiting for her to crack. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Cole straightened up, folding his arms. ‘On a scale from one to ten, how dead are we?’

Camila shrugged. ‘I’d put it at about an 8.5,’ she muttered. Then her gaze was on Betty, her lip curling. ‘Daddy says we need to take Betty Boop back home.’

‘She’s seen too much.’ KJ muttered, his lip curling into a smirk.

‘Oh, really?’ Cole hummed. ‘Well, it makes sense. A lot of people want us and our parents dead.’

_What?!_ Betty stiffened. ‘N- no- you need to let me go!’ she whispered desperately. Cole turned to her, the tape he had ripped off of her lips still stuck to his fingers. ‘Don’t make me gag you again.’

KJ nudged the boy playfully. ‘You seem to be having fun playing with her.’

The beanie-wearing boy shrugged. ‘Look how innocent she is.’ He murmured, his gaze boring into hers. ‘She looks like she’s lived the perfect life, with the perfect parents and the perfect boyfriend.’

‘With _perfect _grades.’ Camila joined in, spitting just by Betty’s foot, making her flinch. ‘She makes me physically sick just looking at her.’

‘So they want her, huh?’ Cole murmured. He twirled his finger, flicking the duct tape.

‘Looks like it.’ Camila grumbled. ‘I hope they make it painful.’

Betty’s stomach flipped over. ‘N- no, you can’t kill me!’ she shrieked, struggling violently. Tears started welling in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. ‘Please don’t kill me!’ For some reason, her eyes strayed on Cole, as if she was trying to seek out a tiny piece of humanity. He was chewing on his lip, his gaze looked distant. Betty caught a sudden glance between the three kids, as if they shared a specific connection, or a memory. ‘Please.’ She sobbed. ‘Oh god, I- I’m not Cheryl Blossom, I swe-‘

Betty’s words were cut off, when something sharp hit her cheek. It took her a few dizzying seconds to realize it was Cole’s hand. She felt it hit, slamming into her cheek, and it stung. She recoiled from the hit, her head spinning, vision blurring with tears until she came back around, managing to see Cole through strained eyes, directly in front of her eyes. His expression was mid eye-roll. ‘We’re not going to kill you.’ He muttered. He still looked distant, his green eyes seemed to be looking right through her. ‘KJ, untie her.’ He ordered, once again. ‘And hold her still.’

KJ nodded, rounding Betty’s chair. She felt his hands suddenly pulling at the ropes bonding her wrists together. It was a relief. ‘Don’t move.’ He murmured as his fingers expertly poked through loopholes, eventually freeing her hands from behind her back. ‘Alright, game-plan.’ Camila said, as KJ grabbed Betty, yanking her roughly to her feet. She didn’t struggle this time. Cole pulled his gun from where he’d kept it in his pocket. ‘Shoot her and get it over with?’ he positioned the gun, pointing it at Betty and teasing the trigger. Betty felt weak. She ducked her head, letting her blonde hair fall in her face. But Cole only shrugged, shoving the gun back in his pocket. ‘Kidding.’ He winked at her. ‘Mostly.’

Betty might have said something, or she might have tried to struggle her way out of KJ’s grip, but the sudden dose of power, of adrenaline that hit her, suddenly fell flat, when there was a knock at the door. And all Betty could do was stare at Camila and Cole, as they automatically drew their weapons. Betty opened her mouth to scream for help, but KJ’s hand was snaking over her mouth.

Cole held a finger to his lips. ‘Answer it.’ He hissed. ‘Though one wrong move, and I swear, Betty Boop, I won’t hesitate killing you.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m sure my father wouldn’t mind.’ He glances at KJ. ‘How much trouble would we get in?’ KJ snorted. ‘I dunno, like two weeks of grounding?’

Cole nodded. ‘Exactly.’ Betty let out a hissed breath when he was gesturing wildly to the door with his gun, and KJ was forcefully pushing her forwards. ‘Remember Betty,’ Camila was by her side as she reached the door, reaching out to open it with shaking hands. ‘One wrong word and..’ Camila drew a perfectly manicured fingernail across her throat. Betty was too scared to speak. She could barely breathe, her chest tightening every time she thought about opening the door. _One wrong move_.

‘Hurry up!’ Betty span around, biting back a cry when she felt the smooth metal of Cole’s gun stick into her back, the barrel protruding into her spine. The three of them were standing behind her, looking impatient. Camila frowned. ‘Actually, honey, wait...you look a mess,’ before Betty could pull away, the girl was licking her thumb and swiping under her eyes, her fingers daintily messing with strands of her hair until they no longer fell in limp strands. Camila bit her lip, scrutinizing her. ‘Urgh, you’ll do.’ She muttered, pushing her away. Betty stumbled, her stomach doing flip-flop’s. For a second, it almost felt like the girl was her _friend_. Helping her out. Betty’s gaze went from Camila, to an impatient KJ and Cole.

‘I-‘ Betty opened her mouth to say _I can’t do it. _She physically couldn’t. The one person who knew her inside out was _herself_ and she knew- she _knew_ she’d mess up. But before she could say anything, there was another knock, and Cole’s gun was digging harder into her back. ‘Answer it.’ His voice was so cold, so demanding, that Betty found herself subconsciously moving at his demand.

Another dig. This time it comes quick and painful. She winced when he impatiently slammed the barrel into her spine. ‘Would you just open the damn door?’ he hissed. ‘Do you want me to go _deeper?!’ _Betty bit back a cry as his emphasis on the word ‘deeper’ mixed in symphony with his next prod.

‘Betty?’ a voice called, and Betty nearly, very nearly forgot, that she was at gunpoint. She felt like crying out for help, but surely her words would twist into a pained cry. She felt Cole’s gun slowly slide up her spine until it pressed into the back of her neck. ‘Ooh, it’s a kid.’ KJ murmured. Betty could feel his breath on her neck. ‘I’d open the door if I were you, before Cole get’s trigger happy.’

It was Kevin. Betty flinched when there was another knock. ‘Bets?’ his voice came again, this time louder. ‘Hey, I know you’re in there!’

‘Somebody’s desperate.’ Camila muttered. Betty turned, ready to bolt. Her mind was all over the place. She pinpointed a gap between Camila and KJ where she could dive through.

‘Listen, Princess,’ Cole rolled his eyes, and turned to her. Green eyes blazing. ‘Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go out there and tell your friend you’re going away for a bit, with some friends. Caspish?’ he grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, shoving her towards the door.

Betty didn’t have time to freak out, or beg for mercy. She wanted to scream for help, but it would just get her- maybe Kevin- a bullet in the back. So she reached out and yanked the door open stumbling on the threshold. Betty revelled in the sudden fresh, almost intoxicating breeze as it washed against her clammy skin. Kevin Keller, her friend from school was standing on the doorstep, smiling at her expectantly. Betty felt an instantaneous flood of relief filling her. The boy was tall, had close cropped black hair and olive skin. Kevin Keller, the boy she had known since childhood.

_ And he was inches away from a loaded gun._

‘Betty!’ he grinned, his eyes looked heavy and glazed from alcohol. Kevin strained his neck, peeking behind her. But she quickly moved in front of the door. ‘You’re looking a little pale!’ he teased. Before his eyes went wary, his lips twisting into a frown. ‘Bets, have you been crying?’

‘N- no.’ Was all Betty managed to choke out, before it hit her. ‘I mean, yes.’ She swiped at her eyes, laughing a little. _Play it cool, Betty_. ‘I just watched- I just watched a sad movie.’

Kevin scoffed. ‘Really?’ he laughed. ‘So you abandoned the depression-fest that is Black Mirror then?’ Though Betty couldn’t reply. His question didn’t even register in her mind, because all she could feel was Cole’s gun. It could go off at any second. She shivered. Her life was in his filthy, disgusting hands.

‘Betty?’ Kevin’s voice was distant. ‘Hey, are you sure you’re okay? Dude you look shaken.’

After staring at her friend for a few seconds and trying not to imagine three bullets piercing his head, Betty found her voice. ‘I’m okay.’ she smiled weakly, wrapping her arms around her chest. _Change the subject! _Her mind hissed at her. ‘What-‘ she noticed her voice was shaking, and she quickly cleared her throat. ‘What are you doing here?’ she forced a laugh. ‘Isn’t there a party going on?’ Betty had to hold in a breath when Cole’s gun stabbed harder into her back. _Get rid of him_. She could hear his words practically vibrating with his gun’s moments.

Kevin smirked. ‘The better question, Betty Cooper,’ He tried once again to look past her, but she was quick to block him once again. Kevin waggled his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Is what are _you_ doing?’ Betty swore she heard KJ let out a snort behind her. She felt the tension of the gun sticking in her back slip slightly. Betty floundered, and before she knew what she was doing, she was reaching behind her and grabbing Cole by the shoulder. She heard him gasp slightly in surprise. ‘I, uh..’ she stumbled over her words, her tongue in knots.

Betty flinched at the thud of his gun hitting the carpet, but Kevin didn’t even wince. It was too late to back out now. Betty kept a firm hold of Cole’s arm and dragged him to the doorway. ‘I have a date!’ she smiled at Kevin, and when Cole stumbled, regaining his balance and shot her a look, she could only look helpless. _Just play along_. She said with her eyes. To her surprise he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Too close. His grip was just tight enough to make her squirm, but she only forced that damn smile again. ‘Kevin, this is Cole.’ She introduced the boy, but really looked at Kevin, with her best _I’M IN DANGER_ look.

But Kevin was too busy eyeing Cole, and Betty wanted to cry. There was a 80% chance that Kevin Keller fancied the boy. After all, he was the only boy in her year out of the closet.

But how could Kevin _not_ look at Cole? His lush chocolate locks falling in his eyes and that irresistible smile was the perfect façade for the monster inside. ‘Hey man!’ Cole smiled at the boy, and Kevin raised his eyebrows at Betty, a look of glee lighting up his expression. It was inevitable. Kevin had been pressuring Betty to find a guy since they hit puberty. ‘I..don’t believe we’ve met!’ Kevin trilled, completely oblivious. ‘Do you go to our school?’

‘Ah, no.’ Cole smiled. Betty flinched when she felt his fingernails digging into her shoulder. ‘I’m actually home-schooled.’ There was an uneasy silence, before Cole cleared his throat. ‘Well, this was fun,’ he says in a cynical tone which suggested exactly the opposite. He started to back away, pulling Betty along with him, since they were still uncomfortably pressed together in an awkward embrace.

_Say something!_ Betty’s mind screeched. Except she was on autopilot. Though a sudden noise, what sounded like a sneeze, snapped her out of it. The door opened further, revealing KJ and Camila. When Betty risked looking around, the two of them were stood, frozen. KJ had one hand over his mouth and nose, while the other was behind his back, presumably hiding his gun. The red-head looked guilty, and Betty felt a sudden bubble of hysterical laugher climbing up her throat. He had sneezed. And the reason why it seemed so funny to her, was that a _sneeze_ was so human. So normal. Which he wasn’t.

Camila waved half-heartedly at Kevin, and the boy only stared back. Betty got it. Cole was enough. One reasonably attractive person at her house. She figured he thought that as normal. But _three_? Betty watched Kevin’s gaze seem to flitter over KJ and Camila. They didn’t look like normal kids. The bound leather jackets were definitely _something. _Camila would have shocked any straight guy into submission or grabbed their attention, but with Kevin swinging the other way, he looked directly at the red-head. At KJ’s unruly dark red hair, the way it dipped just above his eyebrow, his freckled cheeks and warm brown eyes. ‘Hey there.’ He said, with a grin. Though his teeth were just that little bit too sharp. Like a wolf. Betty shivered. _All the better to eat you with, my dear_!

Betty’s voice was weak. ‘KJ and Camila.’ She gestured to the other two, and Kevin’s smile grew.

Kevin was so absorbed in KJ’s looks, he seemed to look straight past the curl of the smirk on the boy’s lips, his dark challenging eyes as he seemed to be waiting for _just the right time_ to pull his gun out. ‘These are your date’s?’ The boy emphasised on the ‘S’ and Betty suddenly really wanted to shake him.

‘Yep, that’s us.’ Cole said impatiently. He seemed to have had enough of Heart Eyes Kevin. ‘We’re kinda busy.’ He muttered. Betty couldn’t speak, her heart jumping into her throat. She was waiting for the crack of the gun shot. But Kevin, still oblivious, and maybe too drunk to fully comprehend the situation, stared at the four teens. Though his gaze lingered on the boy’s. ‘Betty!’ he snorts a little. ‘Wow, I had no idea you were into this kind of thing. If I’d known I’d have definitely suggest Reggie Mantle and Moos-‘

‘Well, she is.’ Cole interrupts with a half smile. He once again tries to close the door ‘Bye now.’

‘Wait.’ The words are pouring from her mouth before she can stop them. ‘Kev, I’m, uh..’ she raked her mind for an excuse. ‘There’s a – there’s a thing the Junior Library Club are doing, and we’re going to New York for a couple of weeks,’ she shrugs with a smile. ‘Some kind of convention.’ Betty looked Kevin dead in the eye, then. Praying he understood and would get her out of this. ‘Okay, Kevin?’

Riverdale High didn’t have a Junior Library Club. She wasn’t even sure there was such a thing.

Kevin nods happily. ‘Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you when you get back!’ he grinned at her. ‘Have fun tonight,’ he winks. ‘Honestly Betty, I had no idea you were into that sort of thing-‘ he stops then, his expression lighting up. ‘Wait, we don’t have a-‘ Before he could finish, or Betty could choke out coherent words which weren’t muddled on her tongue, Cole slammed the door in Kevin’s face.

‘Uh, I’ll text you!’ Kevin shouts from outside. Cole let go of Betty, as if she had a contagious disease. Camila pulled out a phone, and Betty’s heart sunk when she realized it was hers. ‘Not likely.’ She muttered, before dropping the phone on the floor and crushing it with the heel of her boot.

‘Nice.’ KJ grins at Camila. ‘Where’d you learn that?’

She frowns at him ‘Common sense?’

Once the door was shut, KJ grabbed hold of Betty's shoulders once more. ‘Camila, call Hiram.’ He muttered. ‘They can pick us up.’ Betty stayed silent. KJ had one hell of a grip and seemed to enjoy inflicting pain if she started struggling.

Camila nodded. ‘Good idea.’ She fished her phone from her pocket and started to dial, moving towards the kitchen. Betty cringed when the girl walk through the smashed glass, crunching on crushed fragments with her boots. ‘Hi, Daddy!’ Camila’s voice was sickeningly sweet. The tone of a girl who always got what she wanted. ‘Can you pick us up? Yeah, we’re still at the property.’

That left her with the boy’s. KJ still kept a hold of her, while Cole leaned against the wall, tipping his head back. ‘If Pee-Wee Herman out there isn’t gone by the time our parents get back, I’m sure they’ll take care of him.’ He murmured, smirking at Betty. She flinched.

Kevin. Betty’s heart clenched. _Why hadn’t he gone? Was he suspicious after all?_

‘Don’t kill him.’ She whispered, squirming in KJ’s grip. ‘He’s just someone from school, that’s-that’s all he is.’ She hated the way her voice shook.

‘Kill him?’ Cole lets out a startling laugh. ‘Dude, they won’t kill him.’

Betty felt relief flood her. But Cole hadn’t finished. ‘What I meant to say is that they’ll capture him, torture him and _then_ kill him.’ He folded his arms, challenging Betty. ‘So if he _is_ still there, you better not scream,’ he takes an intimidating step towards her. ‘Because the second he is exposed to our identity’s, he’s dead.’ Cole didn’t stop. He got further and further towards her until they were inches apart. Betty struggling for breath as she dug her fingernails into the flesh of her palms.

‘I don’t know why, Betty,’ he murmurs softly, cocking his head. She can feel his breath in her face, can smell his overbearing cologne as it snakes though her nostrils, turning her stomach. ‘But for some bizarre reason, our parents want to keep you alive. They want to _use_ you.’ He says. He takes a step back then, but his eyes are still slitted, lips twisted into a grimace. ‘Me, though?’ he continues, his voice almost a whisper. Betty could see the resentment, the anger, flickering in his pupils.

Cole straightens up, his eyes ice cold. ‘I cannot wait until they put a bullet in your skull.’


	3. Lili

_Jughead Jones was thirteen when he received his new name. Since he had became a Jones, he had adapted to his father’s life and business. Even if sometimes it seemed...wrong. Though that voice was only small in the back of his head. He loved his father. How could he not? FP had taken him in as a child, and raised him, He had told him how to defend himself, how to fight back against bad people that wanted to hurt his family. Jughead thought FP was strong. That he would always protect him, that him, Hiram and Fred would protect him and his friends from anything that was thrown at them._

_Jughead had been wrong. For as long as he could remember, it had always been his father holding the gun, sticking it in the forehead of a grovelling man. It had always been either FP, Fred or Hiram who squeezed the trigger, or spat out threats before roughly ragging their victim to an unknown fate. The point was, Jughead had always considered himself, Archie and Veronica, as safe. Their parents were the ultimate bad-asses. When he was younger, Jughead would draw them as actual super-hero’s. That was until he figured out, or rather found out, that they were quite the opposite._

_Though now, Jughead found himself a victim, instead of a bystander. He shivered, blowing out a breath. He was only in his t-shirt and could feel the bitter breeze tickling his exposed arms. He felt Archie’s trembling hands roughly bonded to his own. The red-head's breaths were shaky. Jughead could hear his heart beating against his rib cage. Stay calm, Jug_. _He told himself._

_ '_ _So, Jughead Jones.’ The man leaned in front of him, a smirk etched on his lips. ‘FP Jones’s son.’ His voice was riddled with glee. Jughead refused to look at the man. Choosing to lean back defiantly._

_‘Where’s your daddy, huh?’ The man's voice chilled him to the bone. When Jughead forced himself to look up, he recognised the man as one of the mobsters Hiram had threatened a month earlier. He remembered him perfectly. His dirty blonde hair and bruised lips were a dead giveaway. Jughead kept silent. Though he wanted to cry out. He wanted his dad. Even if he wasn’t a little kid anymore. The helpless feeling he thought had gone from his time on the streets had returned. Jughead let his head hang, and yanked at the tough wires bounding him to his friends. They stung. Every tug was a slash of agony._

_ '_ _He’s coming.’ He said softly. Though he knew he really shouldn’t have answered the man. He felt it straight away, the vicious sting of the man’s palm striking him in the cheek. He blinked back tears, and lunged forward, spitting out blood. The man’s hit had been so hard it had bust his nose and bottom lip. But he barely felt it. He was too numb. He heard Veronica’s sharp intake of breath, and felt himself jolt when the girl lunged forward with a cry. ‘Let us go!’ she screamed. Her voice was like a banshee, bouncing off of the thin wooden walls of the barn they had been brought to. The three of them were knelt on an old bale of hay. Jughead shuffled uncomfortably. Veronica, being the eldest, was out for blood. ‘My father’s going to skin you alive for this!’ she spat._

_ T_ _he man laughed. ‘Ah, you have your father’s venomous bite.’ He chuckled at the girl. ‘Get Clifford on the phone.’ He grumbled, to his cronies. ‘Tell him I have The Serpent’s kids.’_

_Jughead felt his stomach knot uncomfortably. Clifford Blossom. His father mentioned him a lot behind closed doors, when he thought Jughead wasn’t listening in._

_‘You’re making a mistake.’ Archie growled._

_The man laughed. ‘Your father owes me a lot of money, son.’ He replied. It was Veronica’s turn to talk, her tone icy cold. Jughead knew if the girl wasn’t tied up, she’d put a bullet in the guy’s skull. ‘How much money?’ the raven-head asked. The guy didn’t answer. But he did crouch in front of the three kids. ‘Do you know how many people want your parents dead?’ his voice was a growl, before morphing into a sneer. ‘Your dad’s have pissed off a lot of people.’ He murmured._

_ '_ _What?’ He found himself letting out a laugh. ‘Then why take us specifically?’_

_Jughead expected the guy to go off on a tyrant on what he was going to do to them. But instead the barn doors flew open, and he found himself shivering, pulled away from reality for a disorienting second. That familiar ice-cold breeze hitting him full-on, making him want to cry out. He was back on the streets, shivering, waiting to die. No light. Howling wind. Strangers creeping in the shadows. But suddenly a pair of arms were wrapped around him, and he very nearly let out a sob of relief._

_‘Jughead!’ FP was grasping his bound hands, muttering to himself and cursing as he unwound the tough wire from around his son’s wrists. ‘Jesus Christ, thank fuck you’re okay.’ Blood was roaring in Jughead's ears but he could just make out Hiram's yells as he pointed his gun at the Dirty Blonde._

_Three single gun-shot’s one after the other rocketing in Jughead’s ears was enough to tell him it was over. That the bad guy’s were dead. But his stomach was still doing somersaults._

_Clifford Blossom was out there somewhere. And he wanted The Serpent’s children. But why?_

_‘Dad.’ He didn’t realize he was crying, until his face was pressed against his father’s chest. Hiram and Fred had managed to free their kid’s. ‘What’s going on?’ He hissed, pulling away. Though FP was straightening his beanie, pulling it further over his dark hair, and grabbing his face._

_ '_ _It’s okay, Jug.’ He murmured. ‘Everything’s going to be okay.’ The man’s attention turned to his bust lip. ‘Did that bastard do that to your lip?’ Jughead frowned, letting his tongue tenderly roll over his swollen lips._

_‘No, yes, dad- just leave it.’ Jughead batted his father’s hands away._

_ '_ _Archie, oh thank god.’ Fred grabbed his son, but the red-head was cringing away from the man’s hands as they searched for injuries on the boy. ‘I’m okay!’ Archie hissed. ‘Dad, what the hell’s going on?’_

_ '_ _We’re moving.’ He said simply. ‘Right, Hiram?’ he growled. Though Hiram seemed distracted. He grabbed his daughter gently, wrapping his arms around her. ‘Camila.’ He murmured, and she frowned, turning to face her father. ‘What?’ she questioned. But Fred, with his hand clamped on Archie’s shoulder, nodded in understanding. ‘We came up with names just in case you were discovered.’ He said softly. Archie looked confused. ‘Discovered?’ he hissed._

_Jughead stiffened. ‘What are you talking about? Are there people looking for us?’ his words felt tangled on his tongue. ‘Clifford Blossom.’ He said softly, shooting a look at his dad. ‘Why does he want us?’_

_FP visibly stiffened. Jughead figured that was a story for another day. Though he was already thinking up the perfect plan to break into FP’s office. It only took a glance at Archie and Veronica to know they were in. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ FP said. Hiram cleared his throat. ‘I’ll ring someone to take care of the bodies.’ He said. Then he smiled at Veronica. ‘How about it, Ronnie? Do you like Camila?’_

_The girl shrugged with a half-smile. ‘Camila.’ She murmured, cocking her head thoughtfully. ‘I like it.’_

_Fred turned to Archie. ‘How does KJ sound, son?’ he asked the boy softly. ‘Is that okay?’ The red-head nodded, but he still looked shaken. 'Sure.' Archie said softly. Finally, FP was saying his new name, and Jughead knew it was over. The name he had been given the day he was adopted, when he became a Jones. When he finally got a last name, was gone. Because they had to stay hidden. Stay safe. Hiram sighed. ‘These kid’s need proper lessons. They need to know how to kill.’ He said. ‘No more petty shit,’ he growled. He was speaking to the three of them, but held Veronica close. ‘These kid’s need to grow up with balls.’_

_FP surprised Jughead with the name. It registered in his brain, and he felt it embrace him, as if he was dead and this new name was the new him. The improved him. The guy with balls. ‘Cole.’ FP smiles reassuringly at him, his eyes twinkling. Jughead had never stopped to wonder what exactly that spark was. ‘I think it suits you perfectly.’_

_~*~_

Betty had never met a criminal. Of course until an hour ago, her perfect sheltered life was devoid of anything or anyone remotely dangerous. The only bad guys she knew were on TV shows and films she found herself idly watching on Netflix. That was until she had met Hiram Lodge’s children. And her life as she knew it, was over. The three teens were callous. She hadn’t seen a speck of contempt or empathy in their expression’s. That was, however. Until Betty had met their parents.

Yes, the three of them were terrifying. They had threatened her life multiple times and were just- _psycho’s_. That was the first word that popped into her head as she stared at Cole, and then KJ. They leaned against the wall, shoulder to shoulder, while Camila sat cross-legged on the carpet, brushing her hair with her fingers. Camila twisted her head, shooting Betty a look. ‘Hey, do you have a hairbrush?’ Betty stared, baffled, at the girl, who smiled expectantly. Betty didn’t answer. She only glared at the girl.

Camila had waited for a reply, cocking her head. ‘Hmm, you don’t?’ she murmured, pouting. ‘Too bad. I was going to do something with your hair.’ The girl was suddenly up from the floor and dancing across the carpet. She had rounded Betty, and Betty bit her tongue, forcing back a noticeable shiver. Camila was suddenly grabbing strands of her hair, messing around with it. ‘So, if daddy really _does_ want you to join our family,’ Betty could hear the grin in the girl’s voice. ‘It means we’re going to have to cut all this off I’m afraid!’ she had tugged harshly at Betty’s hair. ‘What do you think, blondie?’

Betty had seriously considered telling the girl to go and fuck herself. But of course there were repercussions. Camila wasn’t a girl to mess with. Even without a gun, the girl’s fingernail’s already made Betty wary. It looked like the girl had specifically grown them to claw out her victim’s eyes.

But before she could bother risking insulting what she guessed was a psychopath’s daughter, her front door had flung open and Betty had been pretty sure her heart was in her throat as three grown men suddenly forced their way into her house. Suddenly it wasn’t the criminal’s screwed up kids who were in charge anymore. It was their father’s.

Betty squirmed in the bonds she had once again been subjected to. For once she wasn’t afraid of Cole, who was fiddling with a loose curl of his hair, or KJ who was staring down at his shoes, looking bored. He had gone uncharacteristically quiet since he had received a lecture from his father. Betty couldn't help look at them. They looked, just for a moment, like normal kids.

‘KJ, I’m seriously disappointed in you.’ The man with a gruff beard and loose plaid shirt under a leather jacket had said sternly, and that was when Betty realized it was his father. KJ had looked up, surprised. What? Why?’ KJ had been quick to protest, and it had hit Betty that it didn’t matter how ruthless KJ was, how terrifying and psychopathic he was acting- he was still a teenager. He was still a sixteen year old boy who wanted – praise? From his father. Betty wanted to scoff. His father, the nefarious criminal.

’You’re grounded once this case is over.’ The man growled. His gaze had flitted to Betty, a small frown pulling at his lips. He rubbed his beard with a sigh. ‘’Son, what have you got yourself into?

Betty stared. It was the first time she had seen an element of emotion, of humanity, in the boy’s eyes. They darkened, his lip curling. ‘How is _that_ fair?’ KJ hissed. ‘Cole and Camila messed up too!’ he yelled. ‘Plus, we didn’t let her go!’

‘Cole and Camila aren’t my children!’ the man yelled back. His tone sent shivers down Betty’s spine, and she swear she saw the red-head shrink back, ducking his head and cowering from his father’s voice. ‘Sorry, dad.’ He had mumbled, shocking Betty. She could hardly believe it. The boy was acting like a teenager, like a kid. Gone was the evil smirk on his lips and gleam in his eye. It made her wonder. Were these kids complete psycho’s? Or was there something more? Had they been forcefully brought up as criminals, since that was all they saw growing up?

‘Dad, you have to know this-‘ KJ started to say, but the man interrupted him.

‘I don’t wanna hear it.’ The man grumbled. KJ looked up, frowning at his father. ‘We didn’t mess up _that _much,’ he said softly. His eyes were suddenly on Betty, and for once, there was no vindictive gleam in his eye. He looked like he was seeing her for the first time. KJ cocked his head to the side. His lips suddenly twisting into that oh-so-familiar smirk. ‘We managed to keep hold of the girl.’

‘You very nearly exposed your identity’s!’ The man hadn’t just been shouting at KJ then. He was yelling at all three of them. And to Betty’s surprise, they actually looked guilty. Like they were ashamed. Cole had stopped rolling his eyes, acting like he didn’t care, and simply nodded, like he understood. KJ didn’t move, only keeping his gaze on Betty. Camila sighed, turning to the red-head. ‘Does Fred have an off button?’ she hissed. Then she folded her arms defiantly.

‘I only listen to my father.’ She muttered. Though the man in plaid and KJ’s father, only chuckled. ‘Camila, Sweetheart. If you continue with this attitude, you’re going to get yourself killed.’ The girl only scoffed. ‘Are you kidding?’ she laughed. ‘’Daddy, Fred’s being mean to me again!’

Camila’s voice made Betty’s skin crawl. It was like she hadn’t mentally passed the age of eleven.

‘Freddie.’ Betty hadn’t noticed that a lean looking man bearing the same leather jacket both the kids and adults were wearing was standing by the door. He turned his head for a second, glancing at KJ’s father. ‘Are you finished being Dad of the Fucking Year?’ he hissed, his tone changing drastically, from an amused and mellow murmur, to a seething hiss. ‘Don’t try to control my daughter.’

"Freddie" rolled his eyes. ‘They’re in the wrong.’ He muttered. But he didn’t say anything else.

‘Betsy Cooper, I presume?’ Betty nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been so busy watching KJ get lectured by his father, she hadn’t seen the man move across the room. He was now standing in front of her. Hiram Lodge had all the factors of a criminal. The battered lather jacket, cold eyes and twisted smile. Just like his daughter. But he continued to smile at Betty, as if she was his own. ‘It’s Betty.’ She managed to choke out

She thought the man might strike her, but he only grinned. ‘Ah, my apologies!’ he chuckled.

From the second Betty had seen him walk through the door followed by two other men, she knew he was the leader, the one who called all the shots. And that he was undoubtedly Camila’s father. They had the same unblemished olive skin and sleek dark hair. There was even that _gleam_ in the man’s eyes, that she had seen flash in Camila’s. Spiteful. Deceitful. Evil.

Hiram ducked to her height, regarding her with a smile. The man didn’t look any older than forty. When he smiled, dimples appeared in his cheeks, but the smile was a grin. And Betty couldn’t stop staring at the deep cut running down the bridge of his nose. The man frowned. ‘Betsy, is something distracting you?’ Hiram purposely got her name wrong again, and this time Betty didn’t correct him. He seemed to be waiting for her to, though. She got it straight away. He was playing mind games with her. Betty didn’t know what to say, her tongue felt like it was in knots, her mind blank of replies.

At the corner of her eye, Betty saw Cole and KJ watching the whole confrontation. They stood with their father’s, the two of them seemed tense. But while KJ was smiling, seemingly enjoying it, Cole looked distracted. His gaze burned into hers. Betty presumed the other man, standing with ‘Freddie’ KJ’s father, was Cole’s. But the man hadn’t said much when he came in, only choosing to stand by the wall and stare at Betty as if she was a science experiment. ‘_Her?’ _he had laughed at Betty, when he had came in. ‘_You thought she was Cheryl Blossom?’ _and then he’d broken into a laughing fit, while Cole had stubbornly taken an interest in his fingernails. ‘FP!’ the man Betty now knew as Hiram Lodge, had snapped, causing the man to stop laughing automatically. ‘Cut it out.’

Betty’s stomach was flipping over. ‘My name is Betty-‘ she leaned forward, intending to spit it in the man’s face, but a chuckle cut her off, and she looked up. ‘You’ve told us a thousand times,’ KJ straightened up, rolling his eyes. His grin was teasing. ‘Betty Cooper.’ He murmured. ‘Do you get off on being called that or something?’ Hiram frowned, turning to Fred. ‘Freddie, please control your son.’

Though Cole joined in too. His tone was the same teasing and mimicking intonation as the red-head’s. ‘Her name is Betty Cooper.’ He looked up from where he had been meticulously scanning his fingernails. His gaze landed on Betty and his lips stretched into a fake smile. ‘Right, _Bets_?’ his tone adapted a teasing, over exaggerated manner which was mimicking that of Kevin’s, earlier. Betty caught the look that both KJ and Cole’s father’s shared. Irritation.

‘How old are you, Cole?’ Cole’s father frowned at his son, and the boy shrugged. ‘Fifteen.’ He said in a smart-ass tone. When his father continued to glare at him, Cole sighed. ‘I get it.’ He muttered, raising his hands. ‘I’ll stop acting like a teenager.’ He grumbled, sarcastically. But his father didn’t seem to catch the irony. The man nodded. ‘Good boy.’

Betty caught the uncomfortable look cross Cole’s eyes, before he looked directly at her, his lip curling into a snarl. _What the hell are you looking at?! _Betty quickly averted her gaze from Cole, back to Hiram, who was still smiling at her, his eyes seemingly scanning her up and down.

‘Betty, huh?’ Betty noticed he was chewing gum. He breathed mint in her face as he spoke, and she swallowed bile climbing in her throat. ‘Do you have a family, _Betty Cooper?’ _He murmured, purposely emphasizing her name. Betty stared at the floor. It was evident all around her that she did. The picture frames lining the walls and cabinets were a pretty good give away. ‘Yes.’ She whispered. She flinched when the man grabbed her by the chin and yanked her head up. ‘Look at me when I’m talking to you.’ He growled. At the corner of her eye, Betty saw Camila’s scowl.

‘Daddy, can’t we just kill her?’ The girl moaned. Betty felt her blood run cold, but Hiram shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, pumpkin.’ He said with a sly smile. ‘I believe Betty here can be useful.’

‘Useful?’ Betty couldn’t help whispering. Though she swore Cole and KJ parroted her quietly. ‘Useful for what?’ KJ hissed. Except he was ignored, and Hiram shot Betty a glare. ‘Don’t speak unless you’re being spoken to.’ He said coldly. ‘Got it?’ Betty could only nod, biting down hard on her bottom lip when the urge to scream at him overwhelmed her.

Hiram straightened up and wandered over to the cabinet near the door. He brushed his fingers over the surface. Betty watched him with wide eyes, as the man fiddled with photographs and her mother’s prize ornaments. Hiram picked up her father’s clay horse model, peering at it before setting it back down on the cabinet with a gentle _thud._

‘Ah, so this is your family?’ he moved onto a framed picture of Betty, her mother, her father, Polly and Chic. Betty nodded. Her heart was doing acrobatics. She felt tears spring to her eyes when he held up the photo. The picture had been taken in her freshman year of high school. Her mother had insisted on a family photo just before she ran for the school-bus. ‘Cute.’ Cole murmured. Though he wasn’t smiling. His father looked impatient. ‘Are we taking the girl, or not?’ he hissed.

‘Yeah.’ Fred joined in. ‘We have five days to get the Blossom girl, or-‘

‘I know, Fred.’ Hiram snaps.

‘I don’t think you do,’ Fred continues. ‘You do understand how important kidnapping Cheryl is, right? Jason Blossom is dead, and if we-‘ Betty saw KJ’s expression falter slightly, confusion clouding his otherwise cold and steely eyes. Her heart jumped a little when the exact same expression lit up on Cole and Camila’s face. She was no longer the only person in the dark.

‘Fred.’ It’s Jughead’s father’s turn to shut the man up. His tone was wary. ‘Not in front of the kid’s.’ He murmured.

‘Wait, I thought you wanted her for money.’ Cole spoke up, but to Betty’s shock, his own father slammed a hand over his mouth. ‘Shush, son.’ The man hissed. FP nodded at Hiram. ‘Go on.’

‘Just let me talk to her, first.’ Hiram growled. He was still looking at the photograph, tracing his fingers over each person in the photo. ‘Then we’ll go.’

Betty couldn’t help stare at herself in the picture. Tears sprung to her eyes. She didn’t want to be in this mess, caught up in a web of whatever this fucked up family was caught up in. She wanted to be with _her_ family. Betty ached to hear her mother’s voice, even if it was a lecture.

In the photo she had been grinning at the camera, her hair tied in a strict ponytail. Even in a photograph, she could still see the jitters of nerves in her smile, the strain in her eyes as she tried her best to look like she wasn’t shitting herself. She held Polly, who at that point, had been a toddler in her arms. Her little sister beamed at the camera excitedly, waving around a piece of toast that she had been eating. Betty felt her heart sink when Hiram’s grin grew. ‘Who’s this little tiger?’ he murmured, pointing to Polly. Betty’s throat had gone dry, but from the look on the man’s face, Hiram expected an answer. She let her gaze flit around the room, and found herself making eye-contact with KJ. Though he didn’t look away. He wasn’t smiling, however. He stood next to his father, who looked equally perturbed. _Answer him_ he mouthed.

‘Polly.’ Betty tore her gaze from the red-head. Her voice was shaking. ‘That’s my sister, Polly.’

Hiram nodded. ‘Really?’ and then he was making his way back over, bending down in front of her. Betty winced when his minty breath brushed against her cheeks. ‘And do you love your sister, Betty?’ he leaned in a little closer. ‘Would you do anything to keep her safe?’

Betty swallows. ‘Yes.’ She says softly. Hiram’s smile resembles a Cheshire cat grin. ‘Good girl.’ He smiles at her. ‘So, what do you say about joining our little family, hm?’ he murmurs. Betty can feel him, inches from her. It reminds her of Cole. Except this man’s gaze was hungry, ruthless. There had been a gleam in Cole’s eyes. Even KJ’s, when they threatened her. But it was nothing like the look in Hiram Lodge’s eyes. They had looked like lion cubs playing with their food, before tearing into it. Though Hiram looked like he could take a chunk out of her without a second thought.

‘No.’ Betty hears herself say it, and is already regretting it. But she says it again, louder, before straightening up in the chair she had been bound to. ‘No!’ she shrieked at the man, and Hiram let out a chilling laugh, as he backed away. But his eyes narrowed into slits. ‘Betsy, I’m afraid you have no choice.’ He says, simply. ‘You witnessed our children.’ He said coldly. ‘Not to mention, you know our plan’s.’ Hiram sighs. ‘I would do anything to keep my daughter safe.’ He says. ‘Even if it means taking you in and making you one of us.’

Betty doesn’t say anything. All she can do is stare at the picture frame in the man’s hand. Was he doing this to protect _his_ family? She thought. Was all of this because she had simply _met_ his kids?

‘Betsy, you either come with us or I’ll shoot every single one of your family members dead.’ Hiram caught her eye and smirked. ‘Even the little one.’

_No._ Betty shot down that thought automatically. _He’s just a sick bastard._

Hiram traced the little girl’s face with his index finger and Betty felt anger and resentment stream through her. But Hiram wasn’t finished. ‘Or,’ he continued. The man stood up and stepped behind her. Betty felt her heart leap into her throat when Hiram slowly began to untie her. She shivered when his fingers idled on her hands, stroking against her skin, sending goose pimples prickling over her neck and arms. His touch made her feel sick. ‘You could run.’ The man continued, pulling at her restraints until she was free. ‘Go on!’ Hiram’s voice made her jump. ‘Nobody’s stopping you.’ The man said. ‘Go on, Betsy.’ She could hear the grin in his tone. ‘Run.’

‘Hiram-‘ Fred started to growl, while his son looked on-edge. The red-head had adapted a small smile on his lips, as if he was anticipating Betty’s next move. Camila had her arms folded, and was too, smiling. ‘My father is letting you go.’ She said. But her tone dripped spite. ‘So fucking run.’

‘Camila, Language!’ Hiram barked. The girl rolled her eyes, but her gaze strayed on Betty. There was something in the girl’s expression that was different somehow. Like Camila genuinely wanted her to-

‘What are you waiting for?’ Hiram comes back around to face her. Betty is completely free, though she’s stuck to the chair. This time not by ropes, but fear. Surely this was some kind of mind-game. She knew that. But the offer was bouncing around in her head, and the overwhelming urge to jump out of the chair and make a run for it, was overbearing her.

Betty rubbed at her sore wrists, her gaze suddenly finding Cole. He had managed to tear his father’s hand from his mouth and was smirking at her, his dark eyes challenging. He no longer looked ashamed, or wary. He was back to looking like the boy who sent terror ripping through her heart.

_Do it_. He mouthed, his lips stretched into a teasing grin. She could practically hear his voice in her head.

_I dare you_.

Betty jumped up, before she could stop herself. Except nobody moved, Cole and KJ stood with their father’s, only gazing at her, awaiting her next move. Camila watched her with a grin plastered on her face. Or maybe it was a grimace. Her lips formed the words _Run!_ And even if it was teasing, even if the girl was laughing at her, Betty was on her feet and staggering across the room, as she threw herself towards the door. But a sudden movement caused her to spin around at the last second, only to face Cole, who had his gun pointed directly at her head. Betty stumbled, choking out a cry.

Cole’s lips were still curled into a smirk, his eyes teasing. _I warned you_. Betty’s heart leapt, and she was slamming her hands into the door screaming for help. But her throat was dry sandpaper scratching against her tongue. She couldn’t cry out. She couldn’t _speak_.

‘For goodness sake, Cole.’ Hiram looks bored. ‘Just shoot her.’

_No_. Betty turned to the boy, about to beg for mercy. But there was nothing in his expression. No sympathy for her, no hesitation as his finger teased the trigger. KJ had his gun drawn too, but he wasn’t pointing it at her. He was only smiling at her. For a second, she swore the boy winked at her. She was going to be sick. Betty let out a sob. There was no way out. Hiram didn’t move. None of the parents did. Betty felt like running, but her legs were weak. She only stood, with her arms held in surrender, as Cole tilted his head, as if trying to figure out the trajectory of the hit. And then he pulled the trigger. Betty squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the agony of the bullet burying into her heart. She waited for the spray of scarlet staining her pyjama t-shirt.

But none came. When Betty dared open her eyes, she was staring right at KJ. Who looked almost smug. She suddenly felt a sharp sting hit her chest, and when she looked down, something red was sticking between her ribs. Her hands moved to remove it, but she suddenly couldn’t move them. They fell limply to her sides. Cole lowered his gun, losing his smirk. He only nodded at her, as she felt a sudden rush of _something_ flood her bloodstream. Her head spun, and she felt her legs hit the ground, before her body flopped onto the floor, paralyzed. Betty tried to speak, but couldn’t articulate words, Instead, all she could do was lie on her mother’s carpet and stare at the ceiling, as figures surrounded her. ‘You knew that was a tranquiliser, right?’ KJ’s voice. Except it rang in her ears, as if a thousand people were saying it. His voice bounced around her brain as it slowly shut down.

‘Course I did.’ Cole replied. Betty felt like laughing. _This whole time_. Threatening her life, threatening Kevin’s life. But she should have known. Their goal was a kidnapping, not a murder.

‘I knew they wouldn’t give you actual gun’s.’ Camila’s voice sounded far away, but more voice’s hit her, just before she slipped into the abyss of her mind, Betty felt her eyelids become heavy as she tried to stay awake, focusing on her mother’s chandelier which hung gracefully from the ceiling. She blinked, slowly, when three shadows towered over her. KJ, Camila and Cole. They were staring down at her. The three of them were no longer smiling. Their expression’s were blank. Cole was playing with his hair, while KJ and Camila stood still, as if they were standing over her grave. ‘Welcome to the family.’ KJ muttered. Camila’s lips curved into what looked like an actual smile. ‘Is she going to be an Andrews, a Jones or a Lodge?’ she murmured. Cole snorted. ‘Definitely not a Jones.’

Betty shut her eyes, and the three shadows were replaced by a blanket of peaceful darkness. _Bad dream_. She told herself. _Wake up, it’s a nightmare._

‘Lili.’ A voice murmured. Betty wanted to cry out, but her lips were numb, they wouldn’t move. She could only lie there helplessly, as a new name was pushed onto her. She wanted to cry out for her mother, for her family. She couldn’t make out the voice as it rang out. Maybe she was imagining it.

‘I think Lili suits her perfectly.’

~*~


	4. Strawberry Blonde

<strike>AFTER.</strike>

~*~

‘Kevin, has Betty ever been affiliated with a gang?’ The words spoken by his father were still spinning around his head. At first he had laughed. ‘Betty?’ he had choked. ‘You mean the same Betty Cooper who cried for an hour over The Lion King?’

Though that was an hour ago. That was before Kevin had found out there was no Junior Book Club at school. There was no New York trip. Betty Cooper was officially a missing person.

Kevin Keller sat very still. ‘Can you...’ he tried to swallow, but suddenly it was incredibly difficult to. ‘Can you play it again?’ He managed. His throat felt like sandpaper. He picked up the steaming cup of coffee his father had set on the kitchen table and took a scorching sip, burning his tongue. But he barely felt it. His gaze was, instead, on the laptop screen facing him. There was a video on the screen that had been enlarged so he could see it properly. Detective Kyle Sampson sat opposite him. Kyle was one of his dad’s friend’s. Kevin was used to his crappy dad-jokes and immature sense of humour. But the man’s expression was twisted into a grimace, his cold eyes boring into Kevin’s.

‘Of course.’ The man reached over and clicked the mouse-pad of the laptop, playing the video once more. ‘As I said before. This footage was taken on an individual’s cell phone who has chosen to remain anonymous.' The detective fiddled with the sound option on the video, cranking it up. ‘We have reasons to believe that the individual on this footage is of your missing friend, Elizabeth Cooper.’ He repeated. In fact, he had said it a number of times. As if he knew Kevin wasn’t registering what he was saying. The boy’s eyes were glued to the screen, on the small ten second clip which he had watched over five times. Kevin leaned forward, squinting at the monitor.

The clip was dark and grainy and pixilated, since it seemed to have been taken in the dark. It looked like whoever had taken the video, was hiding behind something. A dumpster or a post. Except it didn’t matter if he was trying to stay hidden. They had the perfect shot of an alleyway. Nothing happened in the first few seconds. It was just a shot of the alleyway. Kevin could glimpse litter spread out across the cobbled concrete. Kevin jumped. He’d seen the clip enough times to get used to it, but the yell still sent chills own his spine. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it.

A figure skidded into shot, as if they had been running. It was a man. He looked about Kevin’s father’s age. Middle aged. Though that was all Kevin could get from him. It was too dark.

‘Hey!’ That same shout. Except this time there was a voice. Whoever had let out the shout also stumbled into camera shot. They were bent over, gasping for breath like they had been running.

The camera panned so Kevin could see their, or _her _face. Kevin felt sick. There was no mistake. Yet- he must been an alternate universe. Maybe he had been watching too much Stranger Things. But he was sure of it. The girl’s face was suddenly illuminated by what looked like a flash-light, from someone unknown. The beam lit up the whole alleyway, lighting up the two figures.

Kevin was right. The man _was_ old. He had scruffy dark hair. He wore a long tattered trench coat which hung off him. He was grovelling on the ground. Kevin could hear his sniffling and sobbing. He was looking up at the figure looming over him. It was a girl. But it couldn’t be Betty. Kevin felt a hysterical laugh building in his throat. Was Detective Kyle Sampson on drugs?

The girl _was_ Betty Cooper. But it wasn’t _his _Betty Cooper. It wasn't strict pony-tailed Betty Cooper, captain of the River Vixens. It wasn’t pastel Elizabeth Cooper- with her long unicorn covered pyjama shirts and her obsession with miniature plants. This girl was a twisted, sickening version of her.

The girl undoubtedly was Betty. But she looked all- wrong. Her blonde hair was darker, a strawberry blonde colour held in two tatty plaits. She had Betty’s voice- but she stood straight. Her posture had changed. Betty was known at school for being a slouch. Constantly slumped at her desk, doodling in her notebooks, her blonde hair dangling in her eyes as she chewed irritably on her pen.

But this girl – this imposter. She was dressed in a black leather jacket exposing cleavage barely covered by a white dress-shirt and tights. That was it. She wasn’t even wearing shoes. The girl stood on the filthy alleyway, her toes sinking into sewer water. She didn’t seem to care.

Betty Cooper, the girl he knew, had a full-on panic attack when someone urinated in the swimming pool last summer.

Kevin shut his eyes. ‘Turn it off.’ He whispered. ‘That’s not Betty.’ His tone rose and he clenched his fists. ‘That’s not Betty!’ he repeated, as if to reassure not just his father and the detective, but also _himself. _ Kevin felt his father’s reassuring pat on his shoulder, but he shoved it off and then pushed the laptop away. ‘That’s like the fucking _opposite _of Betty!’

‘Watch it.’ The detective practically growled. Kevin sent a helpless glance at his father, the sheriff, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, head in hands. Kevin turned back. He had no choice. The video was still playing. It was just at the right moment that sent his stomach into his throat.

The girl had a gun and was pointing it directly at the man’s head. Her eyes were cold and calculating. Wiped of anything remotely human. ‘Kneel.’ Her lips, painted a crimson red, seemed to enjoy saying the words. They dripped from her tongue, oozing with venom. The man did, obediently. The girl scratched the back of her head with the barrel of her pistol before once again pinpointing it at the man. The footage shook, as the person holding it must have been freaking out.

‘Please-‘ The man managed to splutter. ‘Please don’t- please don’t kill me. I’m sorry- I-‘

‘Beg.’ The girl said smoothly. She cocked the gun. The man choked out a laugh, or maybe it was a sob. ‘What?!’

‘I said..’ The girl murmured softly. She kneeled to the man’s height and leaned in close, her lips brushing his nose. She grinned, her tongue sticking from her teeth. ‘Beg.’

~*~

The alleyway was narrow, already triggering her claustrophobia. Lili stood over the grovelling man, and she almost felt sorry for him. He was sobbing, gasping for breath as he pleaded for his life.

Though it startled her when the man’s sobs began to twist into curls of laughter which stabbed into her mind, shattering her character. ‘Please don’t kill me!’ He imitated his own voice, letting out another squawk of laughter which sent chills down her spine. The man lifted his head and glared at her, his smile of rotting teeth turned her stomach. ‘What’s a pretty girl like you doing here, huh?’

‘I-‘ Lili was speechless. She swore under her breath. The words were on her tongue. Bold and dark. The exact way to threaten someone. Except that was when she faltered. When Betty Cooper hit her suddenly, in full swing. Weak, pathetic Betty Cooper came back to haunt her.

Though the man seemed to notice the visible imprint of entwined snakes printed on her wrist. He smirked. ‘A snake’s child.’ He smirked, his smile twisting into a sickly grin. ‘Funny. Last time I checked, Clifford Blossom has The Serpent’s kids’ And then he chuckled. ‘Ah, so the rumours are true.' He murmured. She stiffened. ‘You’re the fourth Serpent kid, aren't you?’ He giggled lightly when she didn't answer. ‘What’s wrong, Little girl?’ he taunted. ‘You should be happy the Blossom's left you behind.’

His words were supposed to get to her. That was the whole point of him saying them. But even when she tried hard to suppress them and try and get past his provoking’s she still felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Lili shook her head, swallowing the emotion building in her throat. ‘Remember, Lil.’ Cole had told her. ‘Never, ever show emotion.’

Lili gritted her teeth and stabbed the barrel of the gun into the mobster’s forehead, ignoring his taunts. She could do this. She could totally, 100% do this.

Be cool. Be calculating. Her mind screamed. she thought back to her first meeting with Hiram Lodge’s kids. KJ, who had been calm and confident. Leaning against the door with a smug smirk on his face.

She had been all of that- and more. She had been Lili Andrews, until the man had started laughing.

Lili let out a hiss of frustration. ‘I said beg!’ She squeaked. Her bad-girl façade was fading as her anxiety got the better of her. She had been in control, god dammit. The man spat at her, and she hissed out a breath when a glob of saliva landed on the bridge of her nose. But she didn’t move. She had been wearing the same damn clothes for days, and they were starting to stick to her. She shuffled uncomfortably, licking smudges of lipstick from her teeth. She tried to smile, tried to grin and show that she was the danger. Except her smile faltered. It frustrated her. No matter how hard she tried to let go of her old life and embrace her inner Serpent, Betty Cooper was still alive inside her. A scared little girl who didn’t ask for any of this. But she had to do this. It was the only way she was going to get her family back.

The man was a good actor, she had to give him that. Being able to switch off the crocodile tears just like that. One second he was a terrified man begging for his life, the next _he_ was the one laughing at her. The gun shook in her hands, but she grasped it tightly, trying to mentally stop the tremors.

What was his name again? _Tony._ She remembered KJ saying. Scrawny Tony. He was one of Clifford’s men. She caught him sneaking around back alley’s and managed to intercept him. Though now she actually _had_ him, and was kneeling in front of the man, his vile breath tickling her face when he let out another chortle. She had no idea what to do. He was her only link to Clifford Blossom.

Lili surveyed Tony. What was she supposed to do? Her fingers tingled with the urge to grab his greasy hair and yank his head back, sticking the barrel of her pistol into his neck.

That’s what would Camila would do.

Lili took a deep breath. The gun was visibly shaking in her hands and the man stared at her, a teasing smirk etched across his lips. Would she kill him? She wondered if he had a family who he provided for. Who would miss him. No. She forced the thoughts to the back of her head. She refused to properly look at him. Don’t see an identity, Hiram had said. _See an enemy._ Lili struggled to control her breathing. But she managed to stand up straight. The leather of her jacket was chafing against her breasts but she resisted the urge to shiver and wrap her arms around her exposed chest. ‘Stand up.’ She demanded. When he didn’t move, she clicked the safety off and protruded the gun deeper into the flesh of his forehead. ‘I said stand up.’ She hissed. Then, frustrated, she pointed the gun at the dumpster behind Tony and pulled the trigger. The bang of the bullet rang out and the man let out a startled breath and jumped to his feet, the smile wiped from his lips. Finally, he looked at her like she wasn’t a sixteen year old playing with a toy gun. She meant business.

‘Whadya want, bitch?’ Tony flinched when she turned the gun on him once again. ‘Easy!’ he choked out, his eyes wide. He stumbled step backwards. ‘Nice toy you got there, little snake.’

She opened her mouth to say the lines she had rehearsed in her head. _Beg for your life_. Hiram had drilled it into her. _I want you to grovel. _She inhaled sharply, trying not to think about the icy chill zipping down her spine. She couldn't say any of those words. Even if they helped to make her look like one of the snake’s children. Even if they made her look more menacing than she actually was.

Lili squeezed the gun tighter. It had been Cole’s. Once upon a time he had prodded the damn thing in her back. His fingers had teased the trigger, like hers were doing so now.

‘_Listen, princess.’ _Cole had spat at her. Lili shivered from the memory. But it filled her with sudden confidence. She gritted her teeth. ‘Listen,’ she murmured, channelling Camila. Her soft and sultry tone. Almost flirtatious, but not quite. ‘I want information.’ She growled, cocking the gun. Just like she had been taught. The growl had to come from the throat, rumbling like a hungry predator. She had to show that _she_ was in control. She was the dangerous one. She was the monster. Lili kept her gaze trained on the man who suddenly looked perplexed. ‘Information_?_ Tony repeated, and then choked out a laugh. He seemed to lean into her gun, daring her to pull the trigger. ‘Sweetie, you’re outta your depth.’ He grinned, cocking his head. ‘Isn’t it past your bedtime?’

Lili sighed in frustration. This was getting her nowhere. She had to scare him, she had to dominate him. If this was how he was going to play- she could play too. She lunged forwards without hesitation, pushing Tony onto his back and straddling his legs. ‘Wow,’ He gasped out. ‘I never pegged you for a slut-‘ He let out a hiss of pain when she dug her knees into his chest. Hard.

Lili felt Tony’s fist collide with her jaw, but she didn’t move. Even when pain exploded across the bottom half of her face. She had learned to suppress the pain. Take the hit. She barely felt it.

He let out a breathy laugh, even when she stuck the revolver between his lips. ‘Where are they?’ she demanded again, her breath tickled his face. Lili secretly loved the sudden feeling of empowerment. Tony gigged, his rotten teeth clinking against the metal of her gun. ‘Sorry baby,’ he murmured. She tried not to flinch when he purposely grinded against her. She only dug her knees harder, until he gasped out in pain. ‘Cliff’d kill me if I told you.’ He admitted, grimacing. 

Lili nodded, a lazy smile blossoming on her lips. Camila. She had to be Camila. ‘Oh really?’ she murmured. ‘Well,’ she stuck her revolver into his head once again, and he struggled, but with her knees suffocating his chest, she was the stronger one. Lili smiled. ‘I can keep a secret.’ She murmured. Though Tony laughed. ‘Stop playing around, Little girl.’ He breathed. ‘You wanna shoot me?’ he teased. ‘Shoot me.’ He giggled when she hesitated. ‘You don’t have the fucking guts, kid.’

Lili knew deep down he was right. Even Hiram hadn't trusted her with a real gun when he sent her to rescue his children. She would be better with a tranquilliser. No damage. She could interrogate her victims and then shoot them into a two hour slumber. But this was personal. It wasn't training any more, this was the real thing. Scrawny Tony really thought she didn't have the guts.

Well, Betty Cooper didn’t. Betty Cooper would nod and walk away. Then have a nervous breakdown. Lili sighed and rolled off Tony before jumping to her feet. The man let out a breath of relief. ‘Knew it.’ He chortled, starting to get to his feet. ‘Those Serpent kids deserve it, sweetheart.’ He said, and every word dug deeper. It hurt. ‘Thanks to their parents actions, Clifford Blossom is going to make them suf-‘

The gunshot rang out, and it didn't even faze her. Scrawny Tony dropped to the ground, his head smashing head first into the concrete. Lili didn't look at the dead man at her feet, she didn’t think of the smell of the sewer water congealing at her toes. She didn't even think about how pissed Fred was going to be when he found out she had killed a mobster. Lili stood frozen, her gun still pinpointed where the man had stood. Her hands were shaking. Tony’s last words reverberated in her head. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them, they settled into mind, spiking fear in her heart.

The bullet had penetrated his brain before he could finish his sentence, but Lili wasn't stupid. His vile last words were clear. Clifford Blossom was going to make KJ, Camila and Cole suffer.

For just a second, Lili embraced her old self. She let the icy chill soak into her skin, and she shivered, squeezing her leather jacket closer to her chest. Lili tucked her gun back into belt and reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out the crappy Nokia she had been supplied with. She quickly dialled Fred, who picked up on the first ring. His voice was low, a growl she used to be scared of.

‘Any luck?’ He murmured. Lili shook her head. ‘Not yet.’ She muttered, her eyes flicking to the body of the man, faced down in gushing sewer water. ‘Also...I may have killed Scrawny Tony.’

‘Lili.’ The man grumbled. She rolled her eyes. ‘Chill.’ She muttered. ‘Anyway, I need you to pick me up. I have a...’ She trailed off. ‘I have a surprise for you in the boot of my car.’

‘If it’s Ol’ Tony’s body, I don’t want to see it, Lil.’ He grumbled. Lili chuckled. ‘Nah, it’s better than that.’ She murmured. ‘If mobsters aren't going to talk, I know who will.’

‘Jesus Christ, Lili.’ Fred’s tone turned sour. Though it wasn't exactly peaches and rainbows before. ‘What have you done?’

~*~

<strike>BEFORE.</strike>

When Betty woke up, the first thing she smelt was the strong, intoxicating aroma of hair dye. The smell seemed to snap her out of it, even when her mind was still a muddled, foggy mess. Then she realized she was bent over, her head dangling. When she started to panic, she felt a strong grip on her shoulders, forcing her into that exact position. For a second Betty thought she was bent over her toilet bowl, throwing up after a party. But there was no tangy taste of vomit at the back of her throat. She didn’t _feel_ drunk. Plus, Kevin wasn’t here. He was always there, holding her hair back and patting her back when she was vomiting up the twelve vodka shots she had downed the night before. But she couldn’t feel Kevin’s reassuring pat, or hear his soft voice tutting at her for getting so drunk. Instead, when she managed to drag herself into reality, all she could hear was the sound of running water, and a girl’s voice. ‘Hold her properly! Jesus, do you want to dye her whole face?’

Camila. Betty had a sudden overwhelming urge to run. But she couldn't. The grip on her shoulders was steely, and she could barely move her neck. The girl sounded close, like she was inches away. Betty shivered. The idea of Camila sitting near her made her stomach catapult into her throat.

‘Dyeing her face is pretty tempting,’ The boy chuckled. ‘Though dad was pretty specific. In fact, I'm pretty sure his exact words were “Don’t die her face” which is a bummer.’

Suddenly it all came back. Fragmented flashes of memories hit her all at once. Cole, KJ and Camila. Their psycho parents. Cole’s smirk, his narrowed eyes when he had shot her in the chest. Though it had been a tranquilliser. Of course it had been. Betty let out a groan, and tried, once again, to straighten up. But she was roughly pushed back. Her head spun, and she suddenly really wanted to vomit. Betty kept her eyes squeezed shut. She didn't dare open them.

‘How about you try and dye a girl’s hair while she’s passed out?’ Another voice hissed. Betty felt shivers zipping up and down her spine. KJ. His image popped into her cloudy memory, no matter how hard she tried to vanquish it. She saw him leaning against her front door, playing around with his gun. Red hair splayed over a pale, freckled face. His teasing smile. His dark, challenging eyes.

‘You’re getting it all over her back!’ The second voice hissed. Betty felt her stomach roll over. Cole. The dark haired boy with piercing green eyes and a malicious grin, dark eyes that sent fear striking into her heart. KJ scoffed. ‘Why do you care?’ his voice was teasing.

Then came the sensation of someone’s gentle hands massaging into her hair, stroking her scalp and prodding and poking at her neck. She tried to push herself back, but their grip was strong. There was a soft brushing noise as fingers caressed the toxic concoction into her scalp.

‘I swear to god, you have the mental age of a five year old, KJ.’ Cole muttered. She suddenly felt warm breath on her neck. ‘You missed a spot.’ He murmured, followed by KJ's scoff. 'Fuck off!' She flinched when there was a splash of water, and boyish laughter, followed by a female squeak. ‘That’s freezing cold!’

Then she couldn’t help it. Her eyes flickered open, and her vision cleared. Betty let out a yelp when she found herself dangling over a tub of ankle deep water. She threw herself back, letting out a cry. The water was tinged red. It sloshed against the sparkling white porcelain of the tub. Before she could drunkenly jump to her feet, there was a loud laugh from behind her. It made her stomach twist. ‘Hey, chill out!’ KJ pushed her back onto her knees, forcing her head back over the tub. She felt his gloved hands pressing into her scalp again. ‘It’s hair dye, moron.’ The boy muttered, chuckling. Betty relaxed slightly, and then she stiffened when the situation hit her.

They were dyeing her hair. ‘No!’ she struggled, but the boy’s grip was firm. She hovered over the water, trying to flail, but her arms were trapped. ‘Dude.’ KJ murmured. ‘Can you stop freaking out? You already splashed me when you were asleep and fucking soaked me.’

‘Good!’ She spat. But the boy just laughed. It wasn't a harsh laugh, or a sarcastic chortle. It was different- playful. Teasing. Something she definitely wasn’t used to.

KJ continued to massage her hair with dye, and the smell was starting to turn her stomach. The toxic fumes made her skin crawl. Betty turned her head awkwardly and nearly leapt out of her skin, when she realized Camila was perched on the edge of the tub, grinning at her. Except her smile was different somehow- it almost looked genuine. Like a real, friendly smile. ‘We thought you were dead!’ the girl giggled. Betty stared at Camila. At the girl who had wished her dead, who had threatened her countless times with those bright green cat-like eyes. Hiram Lodge’s sociopathic daughter, his precious little angel. But right then, all Betty could see was an excited teenage girl.

‘Hey there!’ Camila’s eyes were bright with anticipation. But a glimmer of evil, a sparkle of wicked still remained. ‘So, Lili Andrews, she murmured, cocking her head, her dark hair falling over her face. ‘What do you think of the new name?’

Betty swallowed the urge to spit at the girl. Though it was hard to, when her head was still in KJ’s grip. His impossible fucking grip. Instead of answering the girl, she twisted away, biting her lip.

‘Rude.’ Camila giggled.

‘You’re dyeing my hair?’ Betty whispered. Her voice was choked. Her tongue felt puffy, like it was too big for her mouth. Betty inhaled shakily. She could sense the three teens behind her. KJ was still scrubbing at her scalp. ‘Sorry, Betts.’ Cole murmured. His tone surprised her. It was softer. More mellow. ‘Or should I say, Lili?’ She could sense his grin, and she blinked rapidly to stop herself from crying like a baby. ‘Please.’ She whispered. ‘Please let me go. I-‘ her voice broke, and then she knew she was well and truly pathetic. ‘I just want my mom!’ she sobbed. Her head ached from holding her head at such a weird angle. She watched her tears spill from her cheeks and land into the ruby-coloured water with a silent _plop! _Betty longed to wipe her eyes, but her hands were stuck underneath her as she was forced to lean against the porcelain tub.

‘Can’t do that. Lil.’ When she dared twist her head, she saw Cole was standing next to KJ, watching the red-head scrub into her scalp with scarlet gloves dripping a dark claret. It almost looked like KJ was covered in blood. Betty swallowed hard. The new name, _her_ new name, hit her, and her chest constructed. She gritted her teeth. ‘Don’t call me that.’ She hissed. ‘My name is-‘

‘Betty Cooper.’ Cole and KJ chorused, KJ chuckling. ‘Just embrace the name!’ The red-head exclaimed. 'Being an Andrews isn't that bad.' Then he paused. ‘Okay!’ KJ let out a breath of relief. ‘I think she’s done?’

Cole snorted. ‘She’s not a microwave meal!’

Betty felt wet hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her up so she could finally face her captors. KJ, Cole and Camila standing together, smiling at her. Betty realized the difference straight away. Their leather jackets were gone, any gang-wear they wore while on the prowl. Instead, Camila wore a stripy shirt and overalls, while Cole sported simple jeans and T-shirt. His crown beanie was gone. She noticed they were decorated with red hair dye. Cole had it smeared on his cheeks, Camila had prints on her forehead, and KJ had managed to get himself covered in it. It was all over his white t-shirt and jeans, smothered all over his cheeks. He even had flecks of it in his ginger hair.

Betty’s gaze lingered on Cole. He looked tired. His eyes were shadowed with bags, contrasting with his tan skin. His hair was a straggly unbrushed tousled mess dangling in his eyes.

Betty wasn't sure what to say. She could feel the dye dripping down her back. When she lifted her hand and tenderly touched her scalp, her fingers came back bright red. Cole grinned, folding his arms. ‘You like it?’ he waggled his eyebrows. Camila nodded appreciatively, her lips twisting into a smile. She took a step forwards, and Betty automatically flinched away. But the girl rolled her eyes. ‘Relax,’ she murmured, her fingers going to fiddle with straying strands of dyed hair dangling in Betty’s eyes. She expected the girl to yank and tug at it, laughing manically. But Camila just grinned excitedly. ‘I think she’d suit plaits,’ she said, turning to the boys. ‘What do you think? One either side? Make them a little scruffy?’ Camila sighed happily, clapping her hands together making Betty wince again. ‘Dude, you’re gonna look hot as fuck in your Serpent jacket.’

‘Agreed.’ KJ grinned. Cole nudged him. ‘She’s practically your sister!’ He laughed. Betty’s heart flipped. Cole’s smile. His real, genuine smile. Funny. He actually looked human for a change.

They all did.

Betty shuddered. Surely these weren't the same kids who had held her hostage in her own house, who had shot at her. They had terrorized her, nearly got her killed- nearly got Kevin killed. Yet here they were- standing in front of her asking her if she liked her new identity- a new name they had dumped on her. And they had gone from nefarious sociopaths to toddlers who looked like they had just been in a paint fight. They looked- younger. They looked like actual teenagers. Like her.

Betty stared at the three of them. She wanted to say so much. So many words were tangled on her tongue, trying to shoot from her lips. Crazy. She wanted to scream. _You’re fucking crazy!_

But she surprised herself, when all that managed to choke out of her mouth in a barely audible whisper was; ‘What colour is it?’ She gestured to her dyed hair when they adapted identical perplexed expressions. KJ shrugged. ‘Uhh..’ he reached for the packet, scanning the box.

‘Nice ‘N Easy.’ He read out, frowning. Cole chuckled. ‘That’s the brand, you idiot.’ He snatched the packet off of him, rolling his eyes and surveyed the pack himself. ‘Pumpkin Kiss.’ He murmured, his green-flecked gaze landing on Betty. He shrugged. ‘It’s just a reddish tint on your hair.’ He murmured. Cole cocked his head, smiling thoughtfully. 'I think it'll suit you.'

Betty felt her stomach twist. She didn't know what to say back.

Camila wrapped her hair in a towel. ‘Okay, we have to wait thirty minutes for it to set onto the hair.’ She murmured, standing back. ‘What do you wanna do, Lili?’

‘I've got Crash Bandicoot on PS4.’ KJ suggested, smirking at Cole. ‘I can finally beat your ass at it.’

Cole scoffed. ‘You can’t even get past Ripper Roo!’

Betty shivered. She was still in her Unicorn pyjama shirt. It was covered in red hair dye. She felt tears welling at her eyes and blinked rapidly, but they trickled down her cheeks anyway. She sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with her back-hand, letting out a quiet hiccup. ‘For fuck’s sake.’ Cole muttered. She snapped her head up, her gaze going to him. He was rolling his eyes. ‘Are you really going to cry?’ He murmured. ‘Jesus,’ he sighed and stepped in front of her. His green eyes were narrowed once again, but this time with irritation- not resentment. ‘You need to toughen the fuck up.’

Betty stared at the boy. ‘What?’ Her voice broke, making her sound even more pathetic. The boy rolled his eyes again. ‘You heard me.’ He murmured. Then he gestured to himself. ‘Hit me.’

Betty shrank back. ‘No, I can’t-‘ she started to say, but Cole got there first. He looked frustrated. ‘You need to learn to take a hit without crying like a baby.’ He said. ‘Hit me.’ He spread his arms out. ‘Go on. Full shot.’ Betty glanced at KJ and Camila, who nodded, spurring her on. Betty clenched her right first, but she felt weak. Though an idea crashed into her mind. If she hit Cole hard enough and was able to bypass the other two, she could make her escape. Betty nodded slowly. ‘Okay.’ She whispered, before winding her fist back. She didn’t hesitate. Her fist landed awkwardly, jutting the edge of Cole’s chin. It took all the force from her, all the strength. The boy staggered slightly, but he barely batted an eyelid. Betty saw her chance, while KJ and Camila were wide-eyed and staring. Without thinking, she darted towards the doorway and yanked it open. But a strong pair of arms were grabbing her waist and yanking her back. Before Betty knew what was happening, Cole was twisting her around and his fist was flying at her face. She felt it smash into her nose and mouth, and she fell back with a yelp. She could feel warm blood dripping from her nose, she could taste it on her lips. Betty fell backwards onto the floor and backed into the tub, breathing heavily. The three teens stared down at her. She expected them to tackle her, to tie her up again. But they only looked curious.

‘Ignore the pain.’ KJ said. ‘Use it to motivate your next hit.’ He held his own fist up, and Betty noticed a pair of entwined green snakes tattooed on his wrist. She shivered. 

‘Now.’ Cole crouched down to meet eyes with her, pupils blazing. His dangerous smirk was back, his dark eyes. It was like he had never left. ‘Hit me again.’

Betty suddenly really _did_ want to hit him. Anger and embarrassment flared inside her, and she wiped her bloody nose, sniffling. She wanted to cry so bad, but the boy shook his head, his eyes softening. ‘Remember, Lil.’ He murmured. ‘Never, ever show emotion to your enemy.’

She found herself nodding. What was she _doing?! _She squeezed her eyes shut against the agony and swelling in her cheek and jaw, and lunged forwards with her next hit, her clumsy fist slamming into Cole’s nose. This time he _did_ cry out. But it was more a sputter of laughter. ‘You’ll learn.’ He smirked. ‘With some training, Lili. You could actually become one of us.’

Betty forced herself not to nod along with what Cole was saying. This was wrong, this was so fucking wrong. She had been kidnapped, dragged from her home- and now they just expected her to become like them.

There was an awkward silence, before Cole jumped up. ‘Crash Bandicoot it is!’ He said, and then turned to her. ‘What do you say, Lili?’ He grinned expectedly. ‘Do you wanna take turns?’

Camila rolled her eyes. ‘Bullshit.’ She said, glaring at Cole. ‘You always hog the controller!’

‘Because you both suck at it.’ Cole said matter-of-factly. ‘Plus, why do you always get every single box?’ he hissed. ‘Do you know how much time you waste, Cami?’

‘At least I can complete Turtle Woods without falling down that first hole a million times!’ she shot back.

He scoffed. ‘It’s hard to see!’

Betty sat in a heap silently, watching the three kids. The three Serpent kids who were acting like different people. Was it only on so-called assignments when they went mental?

Her nose was killing, and she knew Cole had bust her lip. But strangely, she wasn't thinking about the pain. She stared at the three of them, as they argued and messed around. Camila flicking KJ’s hair-dye soaked gloves at Cole, and the boy putting her into a teasing strangle-hold while she squealed gleefully, batting at his grip with her fists. Betty glanced away from them and saw the door. She saw her escape. They were completely distracted, and she had an almost perfect getaway.

She didn't take it.

Cole turned back to her, still giggling. His face was dotted with hair dye. He offered his hand to help her up. She took it, stumbling a little when he yanked her upright. ‘We’re not going to have to tie you up again, are we?’ He smirked at her.

‘Yeah, don’t think you’re completely free.’ Camila jumped in. ‘We can tie you to KJ’s bed.’

‘I'm weirdly okay with that.’ The red-head muttered.

Betty shook her head as the three of them guided her from the bathroom onto a well-lit corridor. She could feel her hair drying under the towel. Lili Andrews was starting to take her over. ‘No, it’s okay.’ She murmured, her mind was in a daze. Maybe it was early Stockholm Syndrome. ‘I won’t try and get away.’

Funnily enough, she actually meant it.

~*~


	5. Cole Pendleton Jones

_'Run, my dear, as fast as you can_

_You killed me here, the blood's on your hands_

_Oh, I don't really think that you will ever understand_

_The person that I was, the person that I am, I'm different now_ '

<strike>Before he was a snake...</strike>

**13 years old.**

Jughead Jones never wanted to become a Serpent. He most definitely didn't want to become Cole. He would do anything to have a normal family, with normal parents. He wanted to go to school, but it was too dangerous, even with their new identities. He was not _Cole_. Who he despised. Cole Pendleton Jones was everything FP wanted him to be and more. He was strong-willed, not scared of anything. He was a risk-taker and would do anything, _anything_ to protect his family.

Except that’s not what Jughead was. He had fears. The dark, strangers, losing the people he loved. He wasn’t strong in the slightest. Even as he slowly matured into a teenager, he still wasn’t as strong as they wanted him to be. Also, there was his name. Archie and Veronica had happily accepted their new names. Though Jughead still referred to himself as Jughead, as well as purposely calling his friends Archie and Veronica, instead of their glossed-over names that put a weird taste in his mouth.

KJ and Camila. How had Hiram and Fred even thought up those names? Jughead loathed calling them by their new names. He felt like he was addressing two completely different kids.

As for his own name, he hated it. He hated the new training regime too. It felt like hard labour. Every morning after breakfast, it was straight to the training room. Though that day it was different.

It should have been that he was being made to do this in the first place. Purposely scaring him and pretending he was in danger- by his own father. But the fact that it was his thirteenth birthday, when he expected a cake and presents- like a normal kid. Instead he got this. Being strapped to a chair by his arms with zip-wire that did a good job of cutting all the blood supply from his wrists.

Jughead gritted his teeth when the cables tightly around his wrists dug harshly into his skin. He wanted to badly so cry. His chest was constricting, his stomach doing flip-flops. Jughead breathed in slowly, trying to ignore the fact that he was momentarily blinded. He felt the material wrapped around his eyes, tied around the back of his head. Breathe. He told himself, and managed to steel himself to reality, setting his bare feet on the floor. He had to assess the situation. He was tied up, blind-folded, and he had no weapons. Think. He thought desperately. Just like FP had told him. If he was ever in a sticky situation, or something was obstructing his escape, he had to think calmly and logically. Jughead tried ragging on the wires, but that only caused him more pain. He felt the razor-wire slash into the lacerations which made him want to cry out in frustration. In the end he ended up losing it. Losing concentration. The block he had put up in his mind to stop himself from feeling emotion, or fear. It fell. He shook his head and gasped for breath, fighting tears.

He knew they were all watching him. It was part of the test. ‘Archie?’ He whimpered, knowing the red-head was there. ‘Archie, I- can’t- I can’t do this!’ He felt tears dribble down his cheeks, and bowed his head shamefully. He’d failed. He had failed his father, his family. Everyone.

‘KJ can’t answer right now.’ Hiram’s voice comes thick and fast. Jughead can sense the irritation dripping from his tone. ‘Also, please get his name right, son. It’s KJ Fitzgerald Andrews. Do you understand?’

‘Hiram.’ Fred growled. ‘Don’t you think we’re being too hard on him? The kid is clearly incapable.’ Archie’s father sighed. ‘Look at him.’

‘Dad.’ Archie wasn't supposed to speak, but he did anyway. Jughead felt a sense of momentary relief when he heard his friend’s voice. ‘Jughead-‘ he faltered a little, and then cleared his throat. ‘I- I mean Cole. He’s strong.’ The red-head sounded smug. ‘Just you watch.’

Maybe the boy was referencing to street life, when he had made sure they had food, had shelter. But this was different. There were too many expectations. But he wanted to stay Jughead Jones.

_He wasn't Cole!_ He wanted to cry it, scream it. But he managed to hold in his pathetic sobs, and hung his head. ‘Dad.’ He whimpered, finally. It was the lowest of the low. Calling for his daddy.

There was a unmistakable giggle. Veronica. He imagined her standing by her father’s side, grabbing hold of his hand. Staring at him, a small teasing smile on her face. Jughead knew he had lost Ronnie, the little girl with tatty pigtails and a gap-toothed smile. She had become Veronica Lodge, Hiram Lodge’s spoilt rich bitch of a daughter. But Jughead still loved her as his adoptive sister.

He just missed Ronnie. He missed her bedtime stories, her childish outlook on life. Now she looked far older than she was, choosing to wear tight dresses and heels.

‘Cole, is something the matter?’ Hiram spoke up. His voice echoed across the room, bouncing from the walls, making Jughead flinch.

Jughead wanted to nod his head, but surely that would result in punishment of some kind. Hiram would see it as defying his instructions. It had happened on a number of occasions with the three of them. Simple tasks they failed at was met with a leather belt to the wrist. It was supposed to get them used to pain. It wasn't working. The wounds caused by the wires cutting into his wrists still _hurt_. They hurt so much it was hard to concentrate on escape. Jughead shuddered at the thought of the belt slashing across the marks on his wrists. He shuffled uncomfortably.

The blindfold was starting to stick to his clammy skin with sweat. The only way to get out of this was to admit defeat and pray FP took pity on him. Jughead inhaled sharply. ‘H- Hiram,’ he whispered. ‘Please let me go. I feel sick.’ He said softly. He wasn't exactly lying. His stomach was cartwheeling into his throat. He tasted the eggs he’d scarfed down at breakfast. Jughead felt his cheeks flame with embarrassment. Archie and Veronica had passed the test with flying colours. Both of them had been out of the chair in a matter of minutes.

But here he was, still tied down tightly. Still sobbing. He was never going to be Cole. There was a scuffle of footsteps, before he heard a loud grunt. FP sounded like he was being yanked back.

‘FP.’ Hiram growled in warning, but his father let out a scoff. ‘Just let me go to him, Jesus!’

Jughead strained in his bonds and sniffed loudly, trying to suppress the urge to cry. There was the sound of delicate footsteps across the training room floor, and Jughead shrank back, letting out a breath.

‘Cole.’ He flinched at his father using that stupid name that wasn’t him. It wasn’t his name, it wasn’t his identity. It wasn’t who he was, or what FP wanted him to be. ‘It’s okay.’ His voice got closer, until Jughead sensed his father in front of him. ‘You need to do this.’ FP murmured. He chuckled lightly. ‘I know it’s not pleasant, son.’

‘Dad?’ He tried to lunge forwards on the wooden chair, but the wires held him firmly. That only panicked him more. ‘I want to stop!’ He choked out. His voice was breaking. ‘Can we- can we stop?’

‘Calm down, Jug.’ FP’s voice was close. ‘Everything’s going to be okay. Just listen to my voice, and you’ll get through this, okay?’

‘His name is Cole.’ Hiram’s voice cuts in, and Jughead resists a frustrated hiss. ‘FP, Do you understand how important these new names are?’ The man growled.

‘He responds better to his actual name, Hiram.’ FP replied, his voice steely.

‘Dad, I don’t want to do this.’ Jughead said softly. He ragged and pulled relentlessly at the bonds his own father had subjected him to. He’d seen it happen to Archie, to Veronica. How scared they had been at first. But they had just submitted. Accepting their new identities and this morbid part of training. And it was his turn. Now that his father was here, he started to break. His lungs felt like they were being crushed. ‘Dad.’ He ached for his father’s arms wrapped around him.

But there was no embrace. Jughead shivered in the loose T-shirt he was wearing.

He tried to suck in oxygen, but his chest was tightening as panic started to slowly eat at him. He leaned forward, trembling. ‘I don’t want-‘ he whispered, his breath caught between clenched, chattering teeth. Say it. His mind hissed. He didn't want this. Any of this. ‘I don’t want to be like you.’ He knew he’d regret the words as soon as he had said them, but his father ignored him.

‘Concentrate.’ FP man said sternly. ‘You need to learn how to get out of this sort of situation, Okay? You need to focus on getting out of this. What did I say was Rule Number One?’

Jughead swallowed the cry building in his throat, threatening to tear from his dry lips. ‘Don’t show emotion.’ He gasped out. FP grabbed his shoulders. ‘Don’t show emotion to _who_?’ Jughead felt his father shaking him, and his brain bounced around dizzily in his skull. ‘Your enemy!’ he spat out.

‘That’s right. Jug. Shut everything out. Focus on my voice.’ FP murmured.

‘Cole.’ Hiram growled. ‘For fuck sake, FP, His name is Cole!’

‘Leave it.’ FP hissed. ‘Just leave it for a second, Hiram!’ Though Hiram Lodge, a well-known criminal of the underworld, didn’t give up so fast.

‘What’s your name, son?’ Hiram’s voice practically spits in his ear, and Jughead shivered. Even when they told him not to. Flinching, shivering- any physical reaction or discomfort made him look weak. He knew the adults had to go hard on him. If they didn't toughen him up he would never be strong enough to follow in their footsteps- and become a Serpent. Jughead took a deep breath. Though that’s the thing. He didn’t want to be a serpent. As much as he loved FP, he was a bad man. He, Fred and Hiram were criminals. They killed people. He didn't want Archie, Veronica and himself to have that life. Though unfortunately, he no longer had a choice.

Jughead fought against stinging tears in his eyes. ‘Jughead.’ He answered stiffly, and then bit his tongue the second he realized his mistake. ‘Cole!’ He hissed out. ‘My- my name is Cole.’

‘Atta boy.’ Hiram murmured. ‘Now, Cole. How about you get some fucking balls and get yourself outta that chair, huh?’ Jughead winced when he felt the man’s breath tickle his face. ‘Do you want KJ and Camila to become Serpents and you ultimately fail?’ he hissed. ‘Because that won’t happen. You’re either a Serpent and part of our family, or you’re not. Caspiche?’

‘Hiram-‘ FP started to say, but Jughead’s gut clenched when he heard his father sigh, and then there was the sound of retreating footsteps. ‘I love you, Cole.’ The man murmured. ‘But he’s right.’

_Cole._ Jughead felt more babyish tears well at his eyes, and he let out a frustrated scream. He expected the adults to chastise him, but there was only the sound of clapping. ‘Yes, son!’ Hiram yelled. ‘Release that anger! Take it out on the fucking chair! Go on, fight your way out!’

_I’m not Cole._ He mentally cried. He ignored the agonizing pain ripping into his wrists and ragged them violently. Pain. So much pain. But he gritted his teeth, ignoring it. And then he tried again.

Jughead let out another whimper, before wrenching his wrists apart- and _snap._ He heard the wire coming apart, he felt his wrists fall limp, free. And he heard his own father’s hiss of relief.

_I don’t want to be a Serpent._

Jughead keeled over, gasping for breath. He felt his knees hit the ground, but he barely felt anything. _I don’t want to be a Serpent._ Jughead flinched when he felt his father’s arms finally snake around his neck, holding him to his chest. Jughead didn't want to be a Serpent. But if it’s what his father wanted, if it’s what Archie and Veronica – or KJ and Camila- wanted. Then so be it.

Jughead kept his head bowed to hide his tears. He sensed Archie and Veronica stood over him. Both of them were silent. Jughead clenched his fists and glared at the ground. ‘I want to go again.’

FP stiffened, his arms still wrapped around the boy. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, son.’ Jughead resisted a cry when his father grabbed hold of his injured wrists. ‘Look at the state of you!’

‘I said I want to go again.’ Jughead growled. He shakily got to his feet and plonked himself back in the chair. Hiram stood behind FP. He chuckled. ‘You heard him, Jones.’ He chucked a fresh coil of wire at Jughead’s father, who caught it uncertainly. ‘He wants to go again.’

FP looked like he might argue. But that’s not he was. He wasn't a good man. And if Jughead was going to make him proud, then to hell with it. He’d become the boy his father wanted him to be.

Jughead tried really damn hard not to cry when his aching arms were once again pinned behind his back. He held back a sob, held back the pain swelling inside of him.

_I don’t want to be a Serpent._

**14 Years old**

'C’mon, Cole," KJ grinned as he dodged the boy's hit, ‘You can do better than that!’ His tone was teasing but a glimmer of something else sparkled in the red-head's brown eyes. His best friend, his brother, was nearly fifteen and Archie, the little ginger kid he had known since St. Bartholomew's, he was changing; and Jughead wasn't sure if he liked it. Archie was taller, the baby-fat dropping off him at a rapid pace, making way for broad shoulders. His bright red hair had started to become the boy’s best attribute. His pale skin contrasted it perfectly. Jughead gritted his teeth and twisted. He yanked for the fake dagger sheathed to his belt, and held it to the boy’s throat.

'Don't call me that,' he grouched. But it was futile as he couldn't keep the triumphant grin off of his face. Jughead smirked smugly. ‘I win,' he said, stabbing the fake knife deeper into the red-head’s Adam’s apple. But KJ refused to be defeated. He was, in Hiram Lodge’s words when reviewing the kid’s strengths and weaknesses - a stubborn bastard.

Before Jughead could take him to his knees, KJ was lunging towards him with his knife, and Jughead had to twist and then duck to avoid the red-head’s sudden violent advances. Twist. Duck. Stab. Repeat. He followed the mantra in his head spoken by his Father.

‘Why?’ KJ tried again, this time he was faster; stronger. ‘Can't you just accept it?’ Every word that flew from the boy's mouth came out in a rasp of breath as KJ stabbed repeatedly, trying to hit him but Jughead dodged every shot. Jughead caught the fresh green emblem, the official Serpent symbol; the entwined snakes, curled around the boy’s wrist. He was putting off getting his own.

Every time FP offered to tat him, he’d make some excuse. He didn't want to be an official Serpent yet. Even if he felt less and less like Jughead Jones as the days went by.

Jughead knew that KJ was messing with him but he couldn't help it; it had been irritating him for a long time now. Why had his Archie happily turned into KJ? Didn't he miss his real name? The name that brought the three of them together? 

‘It's not that easy,’ he replied, this time he didn't move. Neither did KJ; they both stood, panting heavily, grasping their fake weapons.

‘It’s just a name, Cole,’ KJ said, gazing at Jughead with curious eyes. He cleared his throat and put his dagger back on his belt, Jughead watched as KJ made his way over to the towel rack, scratching the back of his head as he grabbed a towel to press it to his forehead and neck. Jughead’s fists clenched; how couldn't he understand? Surely, there was still a part of him that was Archie – that wanted to be Archie? ‘FP is your Father now which means you’re who he named, end of. You agreed to it.’

‘I was a kid,’ Jughead replied, sauntering over. He grabbed the towel out of KJ’s hand to use it, making the red-head smirk.

‘Evidently, you still are,’ KJ teased, attempting to grab it back. ‘I like Cole, it’s much better than Jughead.’ Jughead glared at that, throwing the towel at KJ’s face and then tackling the red-head to the ground. KJ hit the floor with a oomph but as practised, he was already defending himself against Jughead’s punches; using his legs to knock his friend over. ‘You’re so defensive,’ KJ laughed, grabbing Jughead’s fists with his hands and rolling over on top of the boy; pinning his hands above his head. ‘Cole is who you are now. It’s pointless trying to refuse it after everything FP has done for you, it’s just a name.’

‘It’s just who I am,’ Jughead replied, jutting out his chin. He kicked his legs furiously, using his knees to hit into KJ’s backside. KJ chocked out a laugh, digging his thighs into Jughead’s side. Jughead was becoming more and more furious as his friend refused to take his feelings on the matter seriously, he squirmed against the red-head but it was no use; KJ’s strength was practically impossible to beat when he had so much control.

‘A different name doesn't change who you are, Cole,’ KJ muttered, leaning down to put more strength on Jughead’s arms; strands of his hair fell down in front of his eyes and Jughead glared as he felt KJ’s warm breath on his nose. ‘I’m still the same old me.’ He grinned. ‘Who can kick your ass.’

‘Are you?’ Jughead asked, earning KJ’s full attention. All jokes aside, they were now regarding each other with full seriousness. ‘You used to defend me; protect me… now look at you.’

‘You started this,’ KJ replied, his brows knitting together in uncertainty.

‘You used to care about my opinion,’ Jughead continued, letting his body relax. His intention was to distract the red-head long enough to flip him so that he was on top, and with the worry slowly etching into KJ’s eyes – he knew it wouldn't be long. Jughead may lack in the muscle department but KJ would always be Archie – his best friend, his brother, his.

‘I still care,’ KJ replied, ‘I just think you should embrace the name; things are good for us now, better than they ever were. Why can’t you just accept that this is who we are now?’ Jughead chewed on his bottom lip, looking away from the red-head, not wanting to understand where he was coming from.

‘Why can’t you see that I miss us?’ He asked, quietly. ‘I miss who we were. I miss who you were.’

KJ frowned. ‘Homeless kids living on the streets?’

Jughead rolled his eyes. ‘You know what I mean, asshole.’

‘I’m still me, Jug,’ KJ murmured, his voice gentle. Jughead hadn't heard that name spoken from the boy’s lips in a long time and it made his stomach hurt. Maybe he was making too big a deal. After all, just because KJ and Camilla were no longer Archie and Ronnie, it didn't mean he’d stopped loving them. Jughead sighed and then before KJ could register what was happening, Jughead had pulled his arms free; wrapped his legs around KJ’s waist and was rolling the both of them until he was the one straddling the red-head.

‘It doesn't matter what they call you, what you call yourself… you’ll always be Archie to me,’ he told KJ who was looking up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

Archie looked like he was about to reply, when the doors to the training room flew open, a whirlwind of dark hair flying through. Both boy’s relaxed. Jughead turned his head towards the door. Veronica- or Camila. She was wearing her usual bright pink gym wear, her dark hair pulled into a ponytail. Jughead caught KJ staring at the girl, his mouth slightly agape.

‘Hey boys!’ Veronica – or Camila- strolled over to the weapon rack and grabbed a dagger. ‘Whatcha doing?’

Jughead noticed KJ didn't shut his mouth, and he shoved the boy. ‘Training.’ Jughead answered the girl. She nodded. ‘Cool.’ Then she jogged over to the variety of weapons lain out. Since she was the eldest, Veronica could now use real ones. Except gun’s. Jughead waited for KJ to turn back to him, but the boy’s gaze strayed on Camila’s butt as she strutted away.

‘Dude, she’s practically your sister.’ He couldn't help giggling. KJ shook his head, scowling at him. ‘That’s not what I-‘ he narrowed his eyes when Jughead smirked at him, raising his eyebrows.

‘You’re a dick.’ KJ grumbled, and then let out a hiss of frustration. ‘Can you get off me?’

Jughead shook his head, pinning the boy’s hands down. ‘We go again.’ He said. ‘This time I won’t go so easy on you, Andrews.’

KJ scoffed, and before Jughead could apply the correct pressure to hold him down, the red-head was pushing him off with a grunt. ‘You’re on Jones.’

~*~

**15 Years old.**

The stronger and more powerful he became, Jughead Jones finally accepted who he was. Cole. Son of FP Jones. He, Camila and KJ were The Serpent’s kids, the most wanted kids in the criminal underworld. As time passed, Cole started to forget who he was. Forget who he desperately tried to cling onto. At first it was desperation, to be like KJ. Like Camila. But after he bypassed them in weapons training and achieved his very first head-shot just after his fifteenth birthday, Jughead Jones was no more. He was the weakling inside Cole. The little boy who used to be scared of the wind.

With his desperation to be the best and make his father proud, Cole suppressed every emotion he had ever felt. He hadn't cried since FP had left on a late night trip and not returned. He was used to it now. He barely felt pain. In training, he was slick. He had a wicked hit, and no remorse to any enemy. FP couldn't have been more proud. Hiram couldn't have been happier that he had successfully brought up three defenceless kids and turned them into trained psychopaths.

‘Snakes!’ The man spat, saliva dribbling down his chin. His tone dripped disgust as he lunged forwards, ironically, letting out a perturbed hiss. ‘I know who you are.’ He growled. ‘Wait till Clifford figures out you’re just under his nose!’ he gurgled and spat on the ground. Except Cole didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled. He hadn't said anything to the mobster yet. He liked to wait.

Just like a snake awaiting its prey. He’d wait for the right moment and then...

‘What’s his name again?’ Cole spoke up, fiddling with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Until then he had been twiddling a loose strand of dark hair around his finger. He stood leant against the wall of the jail cell, facing the man who was bound to a chair. His arms were folded comfortably across his chest. Cole was still in his pyjama pants, since Hiram and Fred had brought in the guy a few hours ago. He and KJ had been tasked with interrogating the man. Who apparently had links with The Blossom’s and knew of their identities. But Cole didn't mind. He enjoyed a good challenge. A chance to see a grown man squirm at the sight of two teenage boy’s. He stood barefoot, his legs crossed as he studied the man, his green eyes narrowed.

‘Scrawny Tony.’ KJ replied. He stood next to Cole, casually leaning a foot on the wall. He was only in his boxer shorts and a cotton shirt. But the boy also held a knife at his side, which had caught the attention of the mobster the second the two boy’s had entered the interrogation room. He had turned a sickly white. The red-head’s lips twisted teasingly. He glanced at Cole, his lazy brown eyes lighting up. ‘Do we kill him yet?’ he murmured, drawing his finger across the blade of his knife.

KJ’s gaze was on their victim, a man who looked in his late forties with greying hair and a ratty beard. Who had repeatedly been calling them “vermin” for the past twenty minutes. KJ thought it was funny, and had giggled a few times. Though Cole wasn't amused. ‘Stop being childish.’ He muttered. Cole’s gaze never left the mobster, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

‘Scrawny Tony, huh?’ He decided to speak up, and the man’s head snapped up, eyes blazing, his lips stretching into a rotten grin. ‘Ah, FP jones’s son.’ He lets out a sharp laugh. ‘Where’ve you been hidin’ all these years, huh? Clifford Blossom wants a word with all of ya,’ He grumbles. ‘Fuckin’ Serpent children.’

Cole rolled his eyes. ‘We have names.’ He told the man with a small smile.

KJ chuckled lightly. ‘Well, he pretty much just answered our question.’ He straightened up with a sly smile. ‘He _does_ know our identities and therefore,’ KJ spun on his heel to face Cole. ‘We kill him.’

But Cole shook his head. ‘Not kill him.’ He murmured, a smirk playing on his lips. ‘KJ, give me your knife.’ He loved the way the man’s expression contorted, hearing his words. The red-head seemed to catch on and he grinned, passing Cole his blade. The dark haired boy took it before advancing towards the man, who seemed to shrivel in his chair. ‘You Snakes’ll get what’s comin’ to ya, I promise that!’ he seethed. ‘Cliff Blossom has plans for ya!’ But his eyes were wide and fixated on Cole’s knife as the boy ran his fingers over the blade. It didn't hurt a bit.

‘What was that nursery rhyme we used to sing when we were little?’ Cole murmured. He was delicately stroking the blade. Loving every second of it. KJ smiled a little. ‘You mean Eeeny meeny?’

Cole nodded. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. ‘Hold him.’ He ordered the red-head, who dived into action, rounding the man’s chair and grabbing hold of his shoulders. ‘Geroff!’ Scrawny Tony struggled violently, but KJ held him down. ‘Chill out!’ the red-head laughed, getting in the man’s face. His eyes were teasing, his lips twisted into a grin. ‘You’re not scared of two _children_ are you?’ KJ imitated Scrawny Tony’s voice, and the man only struggled harder, profanities rolling off his tongue. But KJ didn't seem fazed by the threats. He held the man tightly, never losing his grin.

Cole cocked his head. ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, mo,’ He leaned in close so his breath was tickling the man’s face. He brought the knife close to the man’s eye, scathing it across Tony’s cheek. The blade didn’t draw blood, but the man still squawked in pain. Though his next scream was muffled when Cole clamped a hand over his mouth. ‘Catch a fucker by the toe.’ He muttered, moving the knifes blade to the man’s ear, and applied just the right amount of pressure to get a clean break through the skin. Tony let out a muffled screech into Cole’s hand but the boy didn't hold back.

‘Cole.’ KJ muttered. ‘Dude, Just get it over with. Kill him.’

‘We’re not killing him.’ Cole growled. His green eyes blazed with excitement and satisfaction as he carved the knife deeper, slashing it into Tony’s ear. The man let out a scream sent a shiver of excitement down his spine, and he pressed his hand harder against Tony’s mouth. ‘If he screams, let him go.’ He continued, murmuring the nursery rhyme. But Cole didn’t let go. He kept cutting the blade into the man’s ear, until he had sliced through the outer cartilage. ‘Eenie, meeny, miny-‘

‘Please.’ He heard the man muffle into his hand. He revelled in the pain of someone else crying out for mercy. Cole glanced up, smirking at KJ. The red-head smiled back, steeling his grip.

‘Mo.’ Cole pretended he didn't hear the crunch of bones, or see the spray of scarlet on his hands and Tony’s startling screech which rung in his ears. He only thought of FP’s bright proud smile. _Well done, son._ He imagined his father saying. ‘_I'm so proud of you.’_

Cole surprised himself with a laugh that trickled from his mouth. It was a triumphant laugh, an excited giggle. He couldn’t wait till FP had seen what he had done.

Wit a satisfied smile, he dug the knife deeper.

AFTER.

Cole awoke with a dull pounding across the back of his head, and within seconds of drifting back to consciousness he was awake and alert. He felt sick, his throat was dry and he was positive something warm- blood? Was slowly trickling from his nose. He managed to lift his head up, ignoring the throbbing ache in his head. Someone had knocked him out from behind. He gritted his teeth when he felt his arms, tightly bonded behind his back. _Of course_. He wanted to laugh. Of course he was tied up. He sighed, and straightened up, letting his eyes flutter open. The second the bright light hit his eyes, his vision swam and he squeezed them shut again, wincing. ‘Hello?’ He croaked, managing to open his eyes once more. He groggily scanned his surroundings. He was knelt on dusty wooden floorboards in what looked like a dilapidated room. The plaster walls were crumbling, paint peeling. It took him a few moments to realize he wasn't alone.

‘KJ?’ He murmured. He felt multiple warm hands bonded to his own. There was no reply. Cole hissed out in frustration. ‘KJ?!’ He hissed loudly, and then, losing patience, he violently tugged on the tough rope wrapped around his wrists. ‘Archie!’ He growled. He only used their real names when it was life or death or when they were pissing him off. At that moment, it was a mixture of both.

‘Camila?’ Cole tried again, but once again there was no acknowledgement, despite the fact that he could _feel _his friends- his brother and sister- attached to him. When he twisted his neck, he saw KJ’s head of ginger hair bowed, and a glimpse of Camila’s dark sheathe. ‘Shit.’ Cole muttered to himself. ‘Lili?’ He tried again, but he was sure only KJ and Camila were with him. Whoever had taken him had left the fledgling behind. _Good_. He thought, ragging at his bound wrists. Lili was good. She was almost as good as him. But if he was right, and he was where he thought he was...

She wouldn't stand a chance.

Cole jumped a little when he heard a door slam, and before he knew it, someone was bounding into the room. He glared down at the dusty floor he was knelt on. He had no weapons, the ropes were too fucking tight, and now here someone comes to rub it in his face.

Cole looked up, about to roll his eyes at his captor and spit some snarky comment. Because he was 99.9% sure that this was Clifford Blossom’s doing. ‘You got me.’ He muttered, his gaze on the figure as they walked into the room. It was a guy, he realized. No- wait, it wasn't a guy. It was a boy.

Cole’s heart leapt a little, when the boy made his way over to where he and his friends sat, tied up, in the middle of the room. ‘Cole, KJ and Camila.’ The boy spoke, and once again- he experienced a physical reaction. Something he’d been taught to suppress when he was kidnapped.

He recognized that voice. The boy knelt in front of him, and he startled a little, when he finally figured it out. Close cropped hair, a stupid fucking grin and that dumb-ass sweater.

_Pee-Wee Herman_. Betty Cooper’s little friend. Who had she introduced him as again? Cole frowned, his lips twisting into a grimace. The boy held a roll of duct tape and he really didn’t like where everything seemed to be going. Lili’s old self- Betty Cooper’s voice rang out in his head as he glared at the boy, who had a creepy smile on his face. ‘Kevin?’ Cole managed to sputter. ‘Kevin Keller?’

The boy cocked his head, a teasing smile on his lips. Cole recognised the stance, the way the boy was acting, the gleam in his eyes. He knew it well, because he was normally the captor. The evil one.

‘Actually, it’s Casey.’ The boy grinned, before tearing off a strip of tape and placing it promptly over his mouth. Cole wasn't sure what to do. He had never been in this situation- not since...well since he was-

‘Jughead Jones.’ Casey spoke in a teasing tone, and Cole felt goosebumps prickle on his arms. He was feeling...fear. Confusion. He struggled in his bonds, licking at the tape over his mouth. But it was strong stuff. Nothing made sense. Betty’s weird friend- Pee Wee Fucking Herman...he was working for The Blossom’s? He couldn't help choking out a laugh, which was muffled by the tape.

‘Seriously?’ He tried to say, but it only came out as; ‘Mphmphm?’ 

Casey only smiled sweetly. Damn, if the boy hadn't of tied him and the others up, he could easily rip off the little shit’s head. But Cole was at his mercy. The boy leaned forward, and got so uncomfortably close, that he shuffled back as far as he could go, feeling his back slam into KJ’s. Cole felt the boy jolt into awareness, his groggy voice spiking the silence. ‘What ‘t fuck’s goin’ on?’

The boy practically touching noses with Cole, ignored KJ. He only fixated his gaze on Cole, who actually started to panic. Confusion clouded his brain. He wanted to answer KJ, but he only managed to puff out breaths into the tape still sticking over his lips. The boy had stuck it so damn tight it was hard to breathe. ‘I'm going to fucking kill you when I get out of this.’ He growled.

But the string of angry-muffle speak that escaped his lips just made Casey’s grin wider.

‘So, Cole.’ Casey’s tone ultimately turned cold, his grin morphing into a scowl as he got down to business. ‘How was your _date?’_


	6. Are You A Blossom Or A Serpent?

_When Cheryl Blossom was thirteen years old she met The Serpent’s children. And from the second she lay eyes on them, she understood how dangerous they were, how sly they were. She understood why her family had spent most of her life living in fear of them. Her father had explained that the four of them they had been brought up to be psychopaths. And she believed him because they terrified her._

_She wasn’t even supposed to be in the hall. She was supposed to be in her room doing her homework. It was after curfew- and she was either supposed to be doing her homework or in training with Kevin or Josie. She was excited for that days lesson. Kevin was going to teach her self defense. But curiosity, as well as loud shouting and bangs from downstairs had led her to them. She hadn’t been feeling well that day. Her mother had been quick to diagnose her as being a Drama Queen. But she was so sure she had some kind of bug. Cheryl had trailed down the long spiral staircase in the Blossom mansion, dragging her blanket behind her. It wasn’t exactly cold, but she was shivering. Cheryl wrapped the blanket around her, letting it trail behind her like she was some kind of princess or queen. She liked that idea. The girl at first skipped happily down each step, but her happy stroll stopped abruptly when she heard a yell from the kitchen._

_It was her mother. Cheryl stopped dead. ‘You brought them here?!’ Penelope Blossom shrieked, and the tone of her mother’s voice nearly sent Cheryl careening back upstairs to the safety of her room. But Cheryl stood her ground and held her breath. No, she had to stay. She had to know what her mother was talking about. Cheryl look another unsure step, really wishing she was wearing her slippers. Her bare feet made her cringe every time they slapped on the marble stair-case. Cheryl managed to climb down the stairs and started towards the kitchen, but stopped again, her heart slamming in her chest when her father’s voice sounded out; ‘I had to! What do you expect me to do?’_

_Penelope was quick to reply. ‘They’re kids, Clifford!’ She screeched. Cheryl felt her blood run cold, and wrapped her blanket tighter around her. She was only wearing her pajamas and silk gown. She wished she had worn something warmer. Cheryl pressed herself against the wall outside the Blossom kitchen, where her parents argued and took careful precision not to get caught. She was used to it. Sneaking out to go on what she called “Night Walks” where she’d let her imagination run wild. Cheryl held her breath and peered into the kitchen, seeing her mother and father stood at the counter. Penelope Blossom had her hands planted on her hips, her expression twisted. Eyes narrowed. Clifford Blossom was leaning against the maids basin, his arms folded. ‘Honey,’ he started to say, but the woman shook her head with a hysterical laugh. ‘I get what you’re doing, Cliff. But they’re kids. Okay?’ She hissed. ‘You can’t fucking torture little kids!’_

_Cheryl felt the breath catch in her throat. What were they talking about? All she knew was that her father was a powerful business man. He managed the Blossom Empire. Her wealthy family’s ownership of the Maple industry in Riverdale. Cheryl knew her father wasn’t perfect- in fact sometimes he did some bad things, like tie up men who had wronged him and owed him money. But torturing kids?_

_Cheryl wanted to run back upstairs. She wanted to forget everything she had heard and lie on her bed and stuff her iPod earphones in and block everything out. Like she always did. She briefly considered sneaking out and going on another Night Walk.  
_

_But a part of her wanted to know who the kids were. Did she know them? Did they go to her school? It hit her suddenly, like a lash of bitter wind to her face, that her father was holding kids hostage. Her mother had made that pretty clear. She had to know more.  
_

_Her parents didn’t disappoint. ‘Penelope, You know I don’t want to hurt them. But it’s Hiram’s kid, alright? FP and Fred’s kids! How many years have we waited to get back at them?’ Cliff let out a strangled breath. ‘How long have we waited since-’_

_Penelope cut him off. ‘How old are they?’ She asked, and Cheryl stiffened. Clifford sighed. ‘The eldest is thirteen.’ He muttered. ‘Penelope, I know you don’t agree with this. But it needs to be done, The man cleared his throat. ‘I’ve got Tony and Mason on their way.’  
_

_‘What?!’ The woman let out a squawk so ridiculous that Cheryl had to press her palm against her mouth to stifle a laugh. But the situation still chilled her to the bone- but also sent excitement running through her. Cheryl started to back away slowly, and twisted around towards the door, just in time to hear her mother’s shout. ‘What do you mean he’s an “Expert in torturing children”?! Cliff, we have a daughter!’_

_‘She’s in her room-’ Clifford started to argue. Cheryl didn’t need to hear any more. From past experiences, she knew where these kids were. The Blossom maple shed. Where her daddy took the guy’s who wronged him. Sometimes she would sneak in and watch the bad guy’s beg for their lives at the hands of her father. But - kids her age? Why did her daddy want to hurt them?  
_

_Cheryl slowly made her way outside, skipped across the patio and around the large outdoor swimming pool. She reached the barn and was surprised to find it unlocked. Cheryl held her breath before pushing the huge barn doors open and peeking inside, before walking in. The barn was dimly lit and her nose wrinkled at the smell of cow manure. Cheryl took a few shaky steps and suddenly felt ridiculous. She still had he blanket wrapped around her. She walked slowly warily, further into the barn. There were barrels stacked up everywhere. Cheryl’s mouth watered maple syrup. Her gaze flickered from the neatly stacked barrels of syrup- to the middle of the room. That was when her heart skipped, and she resisted the overwhelming urge to turn and run. There were four kids- exactly her age, sitting cross legged on the floor. She took a shaky step forwards and her stomach twisted when she realized they were tied up harshly with thick ropes twined around their wrists. She spotted the redhead first.. His head had snapped up when she had let out shrill squeak. The kid’s had a black eye and a split lip. Her eyes stung with tears. Her daddy **was** hurting kids. Not bad men. Kids. Just like her._

_The boy stared at her, his eyes at first had been wide with fright, as if he was anticipating another hit. But when he caught sight of her the corners of his lips curled. He leaned forward, wincing. Cheryl noticed his eyes were a dark brown. But they were challenging. ‘Are you here to rescue me?’ He murmured, taunting her. Cheryl stiffened. Suddenly her throat was dry. She couldn’t speak. Cheryl took a step backwards. She was well aware that legs were shaking, her entire body was trembling. The boy only seemed to study her, his eyes narrowing, before his expression crumpled, as if giving up putting up a fight. ‘Can you untie me?’ He whimpered. ‘I- I can’t feel my hands!’  
_

_‘Archie,’ One of the other kids muttered. ‘Don’t talk to the scum.’ He murmured, and Cheryl felt her heart leap. Scum?! She felt like biting back at the boy, but she bit her lip. No, he was right. Her father had taken him, taken his friends. They were right to call her scum. Cheryl saw another boy, his head of dark hair bowed. There was a girl too who briefly looked up and shot her a frightened look.  
_

_‘Please help us!’ The girl whispered, her voice choked. ‘I- oh god, I don’t know what’s happening- where are my parents?’  
_

_Cheryl found herself nodding profusely. She dropped her blanket, letting it fall to the floor, and rushed towards the four kids. ‘I- I’m so sorry about this, my- my father-’ She knelt in front of the redhead, who stared at her wide-eyed and confused. She grabbed for his bound arms and started to tackle the knots. ‘My father is a good person, I swear.’ She whimpered, tripping over her words as she fought with the impossible knots.’ The redhead nodded desperately. He turned to her, his brown eyes sympathetic. ‘I believe you.’ He whispered. He let out a soft whine and struggled. Cheryl hissed out a breath. Her heart was in her throat. ‘It’s okay! It’s okay, calm- calm down-’_

_She was halfway through the main knot, when the redhead let out a laugh. It was so abrupt, striking through her like a lightening bolt. Chilling her to the bone. She let go of the ropes as if she had grabbed a hot iron, and started to back away, but the boy was already tearing from his bonds and jumping up at the speed of light. Cheryl lost her breath. Within moments, the others were standing too. The girl rubbed at her wrists and cocked her head. She no longer looked frightened or scared. ‘Our hero.’ She giggled, and Cheryl saw the gleam in her eye. The spark of something terrible. Something she hadn’t noticed until it was too late. Before she could turn and run, the redhead was grabbing her and yanking her back. She squealed, digging her feet into the floor, but the boy was strong. Way stronger than her.  
_

_She didn’t know self defense yet. So she was helpless as the boy forced her to her knees. All three of them loomed over her, grinning wildly. They were just kids! Her mind screamed. Kids like her! So what was wrong with them? Why were they here?_

_‘Tie her up.’ The dark haired boy growled to the others. He held the length of rope they had been bound with, and her heart sped up. But she couldn’t speak. Her voice was croaked at the back of her throat. The redhead nodded and took the rope, kneeling down in front of her. He grinned at her. ‘Your dad’s a dick.’ He smirked, before forcing her arms behind her back. His grip was too hard to struggle out of.  
_

_Cheryl whimpered as the kids got to work, tying her wrists together. The girl giggled, singing a nursery rhyme as the redhead pulled the ropes tighter and tighter around her wrists. ‘Eenie, meenie, miny, mo…’ she sung softly. Before the girl could sing the next verse however, the doors to the barn were pushed open, and all three kids jumped back. The redhead included. But he had successfully bound her, so when she attempted to leap up, she only lost her balance and fell onto her back. Her father strode in with a face like thunder. Shadowed by her mother. One look at her, curled up on the floor, her wrists bound together, Clifford Blossom let out a hysterical laugh.  
_

_‘See?!’ He yelled, jabbing a finger at the kids behind her. ‘They’re dangerous, Penelope! Look what they did to our daughter!’_

_Cheryl found herself staring up at the barn ceiling as she lay awkwardly on her back, her arms pinned behind her. The kid’s were silent until her father let out a growl. ‘Tony. Mason. Grab them,’ He ordered. Before Cheryl knew what was happening, the ground was shaking as heavy combat boots smacked the wood floor when two burly men rushed to restrain the kids. But to Cheryl’s surprise, they didn’t fight back or cry out. They stayed completely silent, until the three of them were once again on their knees on the floor next to her.  
_

_‘You’re making a huuuuuuugeee mistake!’ The raven-haired-girl sang. The boy’s laughed, and Cheryl had never been more terrified of anyone in her life. Clifford was quick to untie her and drag the girl to her feet. ‘What do you think you’re playing at?!’ He hissed, grabbing hold of her shoulders. ‘Cheryl, Those kids are dangerous. I don’t want you going anywhere near them. Do you understand me?’  
_

_Cheryl nodded and bowed her head. ‘Who are they, dad?’ She whimpered.  
_

_Clifford sighed. ‘The Serpent’s children.’ He muttered, pulling her away from them. She couldn’t resist looking back for a second, and catching the redhead’s eye. For a second he stared back and he could see the fear in his eyes and twisted in his expression._

_But then his lip curled into a smirk, and he mouthed something; Until Next Time. Before her father’s men stepped forward and began to restrain them once again. Cheryl shivered and turned away, grasping her fathers hand tighter. She made a pledge to herself then. That she would take as many self defense classes as possible to get stronger- because she refused to be scared of them. Cheryl knew one day she would meet them again, and this time she would be the terrifying one. She would smirk at the redhead and mouth his parting words._

_Until next time.  
_

~*~

Common Grounds was quiet for a Friday night. Cheryl Blossom was expecting kids filtering in and out in groups, either loudly chatting or studying alone with their head in their Mac-book. But when she walked in, pulling down her hood and yanking out her long red hair from its uncomfortable ponytail. She was still wearing her Greendale Academy uniform. The uncomfortable as hell red sweater baring the emblem and itchy skirt she was sure was covered in fire-ants. She hadn’t bothered with makeup. Choosing to hide her face when she walked in, letting her scarlet hair dangle in her pale face.

There were only a few lingering kids grabbing coffee to go. It was just like she liked it, with the only sound being the radio playing soft acoustics and the sound of beans being ground by the some sad college student. Cheryl walked over to the counter and ordered two chocolate mocha’s before sitting down at a table near the back window. It was pouring down outside and she found herself watching raindrops drizzle down the glass. It was pretty relaxing. Her drink came and she sipped it, reveling in its warmth. She couldn’t help the smile on her face. The text she had received an hour ago was still lit up on her screen and she hadn’t had the heart to delete it or even switch the screen on her phone. The text was simple;

**Common Grounds. 9pm. I’ve got a surprise for you**. The text had excited her. Had they finally got the Serpent’s kids? Could she finally go home? Cheryl had arrived at exactly **8:50pm**. She glanced down at her phone. Her lock screen was a picture of her and Jason a few years ago at their shared birthday party. She swallowed hard and brushed her finger across her brother’s smiling face.

Cheryl had picked the rendezvous point. Common Grounds was her favorite coffee shop on campus. It had been the meeting place for the last few months, ever since she went into hiding. Ever since she had officially became Madeline Blossom.

Cheryl didn’t _want_ to go into hiding. In fact at first, she was so against the idea she had tried to run away. But of course her father’s men had tracked her down. She knew enough moves now to kick the Serpent’s asses. But of course, like most things in life, it wasn’t that that easy. As much as she tried to deny it, The Serpent’s were dangerous, and as long as they were still breathing, her life was in danger. Hiram Lodge and his cronies wanted to finish what they started when they kidnapped and murdered her brother Jason. That was enough motivation to turn her from a scared little girl frightened of her own damn reflection, to a trained killer. Thanks to Kevin and Josie, two kids she had grown up with who had been trained since birth to fight. When they were kids, their parents had put them forward with the majority of Riverdale’s youth to protect The Blossom empire.

That included her father’s most prized asset; Her.

Now, Cheryl was able to defend herself and the first thing she was doing when she was out of hiding, when her father finally had The Serpent Children- she was going to be the one to kill them and finish everything once and for all. Cheryl squeezed her phone in her hands. She had never forgotten the redhead’s smirk. The curl of his lip. He must have known his father was planning to kill her brother. That’s what the look must have been for. He was silently communicating to her that in a year Jason would be dead.

Cheryl let out a shuddery breath. She wrapped her hands around her steaming cup. Her fingers burned, but she didn’t pull away. She gritted her teeth. She wanted them dead. She wouldn’t stop until every single fucking Serpent was dead.

Cheryl wanted the redhead to suffer the most. Just like her brother had, at the hands of his psychopathic father. Though she found herself wondering about what the Serpent kids looked like now. They were her age. Had the redhead lost the glimmer in his eye, or had it become even more ludicrous? Even more evil? Cheryl was sipping her mocha and burning her tongue, choking on it when she started to think about- his looks. Thirteen year old her had been attracted to him, when if she tried to deny it. There was something about that bright ginger hair. Those dark challenging brown eyes glaring at her with Malice. Part of her _relished _in his twisted smirk. Even if she _did_ want to torture the boy slowly, before cutting his throat. She wouldn’t mind a quick shameless fuck.

Cheryl glanced up from her mocha at the sound of the door opening, and before she knew it Casey was strolling over. He didn’t have his usual smile, which set her on edge automatically. His hair was damp from the rainfall. Dark strands hanging in his eyes. He swiped irritably, brushing it out of his face before he spotted her. _Something was bothering him_. She had known him her entire life. The two had grown up together. She knew him as both Kevin Keller, the closeted gay kid in her year, and Casey. Her bodyguard. She could read his mood by just seeing his expression. Even when he had been trained to hide it, to suppress his emotions. He was shit at it. Something was definitely wrong. He looked stiff and wary. Cheryl lifted her hand in a wave.

‘Maddie.’ Casey muttered in greeting. She snorted. ‘I’ve told you to stop calling me that.’ Cheryl was currently living under the pseudonym Madeline. Who was a quiet farm girl from Riverdale who barely spoke and spent most of her time in her room.

Cheryl hated it. Madeline was the complete opposite of her. Though Greendale Academy girls mostly ignored her.

Thank god.

Casey was wearing casual jeans and t-shirt with a black jacket over the top and some ray bans. He sat down in front of her and pulled off his glasses, his lip curling into a small smile when he saw she had ordered his favorite. He took the drink and sipped it, wincing at the burn on his tongue. Cheryl leaned forward in anticipation. ‘Well?’

Casey tipped his head back with a sigh. ‘Well what?’ He grumbled taking a long drink of his mocha, and Cheryl rolled her eyes. ‘Alright, what’s bugging you?’ She demanded, and he glanced at her, his green eyes narrowing. ‘Nothing’s bothering me.’ He growled. Cheryl scoffed, smirking. ‘Dude, you look like you’ve just been told you’ve been given a day to live.’

The boy frowned at her, before his eyes widened and he shook his head, seemingly snapping himself out of it. ‘Sorry.’ he murmured, scratching at the desk with his fingernail. ‘I’ve just got a lot on my mind.’

That was weird. She thought. What could be affecting him? Casey had it drilled into him from a young age to not expose his emotions or his feelings. They interfered with his mission or assignment. Something must have really gotten to him. She cleared her throat. ‘Anything you wanna get_ off_ your mind?’

Casey shot her a look. ‘No.’ His gaze flickered to the mahogany table and he glared at it, as if trying to decode each individual scratch. She raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you sure about that?’

The boy tapped the edge of his cup irritably. ‘Here’s an idea,’ he grumbled, scowling at her. ‘Drop it.’

Cheryl pouted. Fine. She’d find out soon enough. Besides, she had stalled long enough. ‘So, what do you have to show me?’ She asked, smiling at him. Hoping he’d grin back like normal. But Casey only stared at her dumbly, as if she was speaking a foreign language. Cheryl rolled her eyes again.’ ‘Case,’ she muttered. ‘You said you had a surprise for me.’

Casey blinked at her before straightening up in his chair. His expression changed, and his eyes seemed to flicker to life. ‘Oh.’ The corners of his lips curled into a smile and he sipped his drink. ‘What would you say if I said I had The Serpent’s kids?’

Cheryl felt her heart speed up, her chest tighten with anticipation. She grinned at him, trying not to think about the dull look in his eyes. She was desperate to ask him what the hell was wrong with him. This wasn’t Casey. He wasn’t normally like this. But she had to stay professional. All that mattered was ridding the earth of Andrews, Lodge and Jones. Then they would talk about his private life. Cheryl held her breath, playing with her empty cup. ‘I’d say prove it,’ She finally said, with a smirk of her own.

Casey nodded, ‘They’re in my car.’ He said, and she lost her breath. ‘Wait, really?!’ She squeaked, jumping up. Casey rolled his eyes. ‘Sit down.’ He muttered. ‘Do want to draw attention to yourself?’

There was a pause. Cheryl winced. Suddenly she had hypersensitive hearing. She could hear the clatter of drinks being made behind the counter, tinny chatter around the cafe. But to her it was like someone was crashing symbols together inches away from her. Casey must have seen her expression. He leaned back in his chair. He loved to tease her.

‘Do you wanna see them?’ He asked.

Cheryl stared at the boy, wondering if he was messing with her. Casey normally made it his mission to make her smile though today he seemed completely different. The sparkle normally in his eyes was none-existent, replaced by an icy glitter which scared her a little. She loved him as a best friend, but right now he was freaking her out with the weird behavior.

‘Yes.’ She said softly, and then slightly louder. ‘Are you kidding me, of course I want to see them! They’re-’ She leaned forward across the table, lowering her voice. ‘They’re The Serpent’s kids!’ She laughed a little hysterically. ‘I’ve been waiting my entire life!’

‘Well then,’ Casey stands up, drains his drink and fixes the collar of his shirt. She noticed then, that he was disheveled. His hair was noticeably a straggly mess, and ah- the top button of his shirt was unbuttoned. She had been so busy fantasizing about the Serpent’s kids she failed to realize he had clearly been in a struggle. And had won.

Casey gives Cheryl a small smirk, as if he can read her mind. It was a start. ‘Follow me.’

*

The night was cool against Cheryl’s skin. The streets were teeming with life. Students bustling around, laughing and yelling. Cheryl followed Casey out of Common Grounds. For once she felt free. She didn’t duck her head or try and hide her face with her hair. Cheryl held her head high and grinned widely at each passer by, as if they were all personally her friends. A man walked past. Mid twenties. Cute. He flashed her a flirtatious smile, and she couldn’t help giving one back. Damn, she was excited. Casey pulled her close as they shoved through the crowded streets. ‘Can you chill out?’ He hissed. ‘Jesus, Cheryl, You look insane. How much coffee did you drink?’’ Cheryl admittedly had been on a caffeine buzz lately. Coffee was the only thing stopping her from losing her mind completely. It put her on edge. Ready for an attack. Just a few weeks earlier she had walked in on a surprise party for her roommate Elizabeth. Though at the time she hadn’t known it was in fact a party. She had walked in, finding herself plunged into eerie darkness and before anyone could react, she already had poor Maisie Whitaker in a strangle-hold. It was a good thing Cheryl took drama classes when she was younger. She was easily able to embrace her inner Madeline and insisted it was a joke.

‘Just a few.’ She replied, with a smile. That was a total lie. Cheryl was bouncing on currently: 6 cups of decaf she had consumed in the last two hours between sitting in her dorm room trying to actually do work. Common Grounds had been her sixth cup.

They passed a night-club kids were lining up to go inside. Cheryl missed being a normal kid. All she wanted to do was have a little fun and let her hair down. But it was impossible when there were psycho maniacs after her who had already succeeded in killing her brother. Cheryl took a deep breath. She wouldn’t think about that right now. There was plenty of time for revenge. She hurried up to catch up with Casey, who was quickening his pace. She linked arms with him like she usually did, and felt him tense up, but eventually he relax and sighed. ‘My car is parked in the backstreet.’ He murmured and slipped his ray-bans back on.

‘You have them in the boot of your car?’ Cheryl hissed excitedly. ‘

The boy scoffed. ‘No, I buried them.’ He said sarcastically. They took a left past an old bookshop and a Chinese restaurant, before delving down a dark alleyway. Cheryl clung onto Casey, but it was more because she was feeling playful. She squinted in the dark as the boy led her deeper and deeper into darkness. ‘Stay close.’ Casey muttered, and Cheryl let go of him automatically. ‘I can look after myself!’

‘Still…’ The boy muttered. He drew his gun slowly and held it by his side just in case. Cheryl rolled her eyes. ‘Remind me again why daddy didn’t let me have a gun?’

‘Because gun’s are dangerous,’ Casey muttered. ‘Besides, you don’t even need one. You’re pretty set with those damn fingernails.’ Cheryl grinned. ‘I grew them specifically to claw out the Serpent’s eyes.’

‘That’s terrifying. Next you’re gonna tell me you want their heads on silver platters.’ He murmured, and she shoved him.

Cheryl shivered when the temperature noticeably dropped. She felt something skitter over her feet and prayed it wasn’t a rat or spider. ‘It’s just over here,’ Casey said, before breaking into a slow jog, his gun still held at his side. She followed him, clattering in the heels she wasn’t technically allowed to wear at Greendale Academy. But being Cheryl Blossom, she wore them anyway. Casey led her to a sleek dark car parked at an angle. It was one of her father’s cars -she could tell. Casey definitely couldn’t afford a decent ride, even if he did have the job of protecting her. Cheryl followed him silently, and she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Had she downed so much coffee that she had given herself a heart attack?

If the Serpent’s kids had been caught, then hell, she could die happy. Casey stuck his gun back in his belt and dug in his pocket for his keys. Casey was one of _those_ guys. Who was constantly losing his damn keys. He had taken her shopping in New York for her birthday last summer, and right at the end of the day when she was tired and had just over thirty bags of new clothes, she found herself sitting in roasting heat while he searched for the keys he _swore_ had been in his bag.

Casey slid off his glasses and tucked them into his jeans pocket. Cheryl rolled her eyes. ‘Please tell me you haven’t lost them.’

That wasn’t the case this time, however. Casey easily pulled them out and stuck them in the boot, unlocking it with a satisfying _click!_ and yanking it open. Cheryl eagerly leaned over, blinking in the darkness. ‘I can’t see anything.’ she muttered, and then hissed in irritation, stumbling back a little, when the boy pulled his phone out, flicking on the flashlight. ‘Ow!’ She shoved him. ‘Do you want me to go blind?!’ Though Casey only chuckled. ‘As you can see, I did a number on all three of them. They didn’t go down so easily.’ He shined the light inside the boot and Cheryl glimpsed three slumped forms curled together. ‘Oh my god.’ She murmured, as the torchlight illuminated each face perfectly. She leaned over, her scarlet hair trickling in her face. She saw a flash of red hair and before she could stop herself, she was reaching out and rolling him onto his front, so she could see his face. Cheryl’s expression twisted with delight when she saw the slow trickle of scarlet dried under his nose. ‘Archie Andrews.’ She murmured. One of The Serpent’s son’s. He had definitely caught her eye on that fateful day when she found the three little kid’s in her parents syrup barn.

‘Is it weird that I find him attractive?’ Cheryl murmured dreamily, as she pulled at the boy’s hair, tangling it around her fingers. She loved the feel of it. She felt Casey stiffen beside her. ‘That’s not his name,’ the boy muttered, leaning on the boot, his gaze on the redhead. Cheryl found herself unable to tear her gaze away. He looked so- beautiful. So angelic. His eyes were shut, his lips parted slightly. The freckles she remembered so vividly still sprinkled his pale cheeks. ‘He doesn’t go by Archie anymore, apparently.’ Casey said. She turned and noticed the boy was glaring at the redhead with such intensity she wondered if steam was going to come out of his ears. ‘Fred Andrews changed it.’ His voice became a low rumble in his throat.

‘What to?’ She asked, poking and prodding at the unconscious boy’s face. Casey nudged her. ‘Don’t do that. And he calls himself KJ.’

Cheryl giggled. ‘KJ.’ She murmured. She stroked Archie’s cheek with her fingernails. Cheryl felt pure pleasure when the boy’s body trembled and he whined softly, his eyelids flickering for the fraction of a second. She looked up at Casey. Her eyes glittered. ‘Can I play with them first?’ she murmured. ‘Before you kill them, of course.’ She leaned over Archie, and ragged at the other boy, yanking him so he too was facing her. He had grown up exceptionally well too. His golden skin sent shivers down her spine. His dark chocolate locks flopped limply against his closed eyes. She hated them, Cheryl thought. With every fiber of her being. But hell, they were attractive. Casey cleared his throat. ‘I’m not going to kill them,’ He said, with an edge to his tone. ‘Your father wants them.’

Cheryl frowned. ‘What?’ But the boy only shrugged. ‘Beats me. I have orders to take them back to your father tonight,’ his lip curled slightly. ‘Though there’s one more.’ He said, albeit softly. Cheryl felt her stomach twist. ‘Another what? Serpent?’

He only nodded. ‘Just been recruited.’

Though she noticed Casey suddenly looked- emotional. Which was definitely a first. His eyes were wide, his lips parted as if he was about to start crying. She noticed his hands were clenched into fists by his side and he was shaking.

‘Why didn’t you capture him?’ She asked, and he groaned, tipping his head back and rubbing his fists in his eyes. ‘It’s not a _him_, it’s a _her.’_ He said coldly, and Cheryl couldn’t help it. ‘Ah, right.’ She rolled her eyes, giggling. But her chest was clenching. There was a Fourth Serpent?! And she was on the run? ‘I didn’t realize you were chummy with this crazy bitch.’

‘She’s not a crazy bitch.’ Casey growled. ‘She’s-’ He trailed off, his voice breaking. ‘She’s been brainwashed.’

So this was what was making Casey so tense, Cheryl thought. He had been ordered to round up all of The Serpent children, including his little Bitch who had most likely manipulated him. She shivered, wondering how long it would be until Casey was dragged to the dark side. Cheryl turned away from the boot, and Casey slammed it shut. She swore she saw a twitch of movement inside. But it was probably the torchlight playing tricks on her. ‘So let me get this straight,’ Cheryl said, leaning against the car. She turned to Casey, who was glaring at the ground. ‘You want to…what? Save this bitch? What if she ends up killing me?!’ She spat.

The boy didn’t move. ‘She’s not like that,’ He said softly. ‘She’s private to me- Cheryl. She’s part of my life, the real life I have outside of this one.’ He turned to her. ‘You want The Serpent Kids dead? I can do that.’ He said. ‘But Betty’s different. She’s not a killer.’

‘Betty.’ Cheryl snorted. ‘So she has a name.’

He ignored her. Cheryl figured the conversation was over.

Casey straightened up, glancing at his watch. ‘You need to get back to campus.’ He said, and she felt the urge to protest. She wanted to stay with him- or did she just want to get another glimpse of the hottest psychopath in history in the boy’s boot?

‘Can’t I come with you?’ She asked. ‘I’ll help you track this girl down,’ Before he could say anything, she hurriedly hissed; ‘We don’t have to kill her? We can take her back to my daddy and he’ll send her home.’

_Her father would totally kill her_. Cheryl thought. And she would take pleasure in watching.

The boy rolled his eyes. ‘Cheryl, I’m not stupid. Clifford Blossom wants them either dead, or working for him.’ She sensed him shiver. ‘Betty wouldn’t last ten minutes.’

Cheryl wanted to slap him. Casey’s feelings were seriously affecting his psyche. What if he cared more about this _Betty_ girl than her? She forced a smile. ‘Okay then, sweetie. You track down a brainwashed bimbo and I’ll go back to hiding.’ She made sure her tone was cold and venomous. But Casey nodded, locked the boot and walked to the front of the car. Cheryl followed him making sure her eyes were narrowed into slits. But he didn’t seem to mind. He yanked open the car door before slipping in. ‘Keep your cellphone on,’ he grumbled. ‘I’ll update you on what happens with The Serpent’s tonight.’

She held her iPhone up, waving it. ‘I’ll be waiting!’ She sang, her lips stretched into the widest smile she could muster.

Casey’s lip curled slightly in amusement as he rolled the window down, peering out of it. ‘I’ll make sure to let you know if Archie Andrews is still fuckable after your father’s finished with them.’

Cheryl glared at him. But she couldn’t seem to stop her cheeks flaming. ‘In what world did you think I wanted to screw that Serpent scum?’ She hissed. Casey rolled his eyes. ‘Were you aware of what you were doing to him earlier?’

‘I was playing with his hair!’ She insisted. _Totally not fantasizing about yanking it while she screamed out in pleasure._

Casey scoffed. ‘Exactly.’

Cheryl hissed out a frustrated breath. ‘That snake is dead to me!’

Casey started the car and revved the engine. He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Oh, so you _don’t_ want to fuck him?’ He asked with his usual Casey charm returning. He grabbed the steering wheel before she could reply, and burned rubber, reversing. The headlights flashed in her eyes and she had to dive out of the way. ‘No!’ she spluttered. _Yes. _Her mind quietly muttered.

_‘_I’d rather- I’d rather stick a boiling prong in my eye than-’

Cheryl found herself yelling at thin air, tasting burnt rubber on her tongue as Casey sped off back down the alley, leaving behind a large cloud of dust.

She was standing in complete darkness. She tugged at her skirt nervously, folding her arms across her chest. Cheryl shivered and started to retrace her steps. Casey was supposed to walk her back, but clearly he had other duties. He had probably gone to find the Betty girl. Cheryl’s lips twisted with rage. The Fourth Serpent. Veronica Lodge was bad enough. But another girl? Cheryl kicked a soda can with the toe of her heel and it hit the wall with a _crack_. She found herself thinking about Archie again, and no matter how much she tried to stop it, stop the thoughts of his lush red hair and stupid freckled cheeks. She had felt something for him when she was younger, and Cheryl had been absolutely sure she wanted him dead. She wanted to kill him- in fact. She wanted to be the one to do it. She wanted to be the one to slice his throat open and watch the light fade from his eyes.

But now she wasn’t so sure. Did she want to _kill_ Archie Andrews, the son of a snake, or _kiss _him?

She most definitely did _not_ want to kiss him. But the more she thought about it- his rough lips pressed against hers. It was disgusting. It made her feel sick. But it was also exhilarating. She imagined his hands all over her body, caressing her hair while he pressed his lips against her neck and pinched her skin between his teeth harshly, making her cry out and yank his lush red-

_No! _Cheryl felt hot all over. She could still feel the tingle of his imaginary touch on her neck and against her lips.

Cheryl squeezed her arms tighter around her chest and let out a heavy breath. She ducked her head, suddenly feeling wary. Without Casey accompanying her, she felt like a target. Cheryl quickened her pace, dancing across the cobbled concrete and then stopped dead, twisting around, when she heard what sounded like a soft breath. But Cheryl had near-perfect hearing. She shook her shameful fantasy’s from her head and inhaled deeply, scanning the darkness with narrowed eyes. Though she wasn’t scared. Her lips curled into a small smile as she backtracked, making sure her heels were loud, clicking against the concrete.

‘Let me guess,’ She said loudly, letting out a hysterical giggle. Mostly because she had officially admitted it to herself; she wanted Archie Andrews. Not just to kill- but to play with. She wanted him to cry out in pain. Hell, she wanted them all to. But not Archie. She wanted to dominate him. Make him _hers_. He was going to cry out for her. With that on her mind, Cheryl stumbled almost drunkenly as she studied the darkness for what could only be The Fourth Serpent - or _Betty._ Man, what a name.

‘Is that Casey’s bitch?’ She yelled, relishing when her voice reverberated down the alley.

Cheryl suddenly had so much to say. Her neck prickled with goosebumps. There was someone definitely behind her, but she didn’t turn around. Only spreading out her arms. ‘So you’re the one who’s been poisoning my body guard's mind, hm?’ She murmured softly. She longed to twist around and grab the girl, but playing with her seemed more fun. If she was a new Serpent, she couldn’t be that dangerous. There was no answer, though Cheryl could feel cold breath on her neck. She couldn’t help shivering.

She waited too long. Cheryl realized her mistake the second she felt long arms snaking around her neck tightly and forcing her backwards. But Cheryl was already digging her elbows into the girl’s chest. Except the girl didn’t cry out or let go. Which was weird. That move was supposed to completely incapacitate your attacker, leaving them breathless so you had enough time to make a run for it. But the girl only hung on, and Cheryl choked out a breath as it got harder and harder to breathe. She saw black spots speckling her vision and tried to struggle out of the girl’s grip, but she was fruitless. ‘Cheryl Blossom.’ The girl murmured in a breathy laugh. Her voice was sultry and sweet. Not at all what Cheryl imagined it would be like.

Cheryl felt something sharp prick her in the neck and her insides turned to lead. Cheryl felt her limbs go stiff and she fell back. But the girl caught her easily. Shit. This was all Casey’s fault. He was worried about her, he wanted to _save_ the crazy bitch, and yet here she was, most likely drugging her, knocking her out and taking her back to the Serpent parents.

Her father had their kids, and now- they had her.

Cheryl felt the girl’s icy lips on the tip of her ear, as she slowly began to lose consciousness. She felt herself being lowered to the ground, and through painful flashes as her eyelids flickered, she saw a girl around her age with long reddish blonde hair partly braided. She stared down at Cheryl with bright blue eyes, her lips curved into a small smirk. She cocked her head, amused.

Maybe Cheryl was going crazy, but she swore- the girl was familiar. She had seen her before - a long time ago.

The girl knelt beside her, her eyes flashing teasingly. ‘So you’re the girl I got mistaken for, huh?’

~*~

Cole Jones didn’t get scared easily. He certainly wasn’t scared of Pee-wee Herman, Betty Cooper turned Lili Andrews’ best friend. Besides, he’d been in this situation countless times before it was almost laughable. If some gang wanted to piss of The Serpent’s, they took their kids. Which Cole was weirdly used to. He was used to the rope tangled around his wrists very nearly cutting off his blood supply. He was used to the generic piece of duct tape covering his mouth. He had been held in various places ranging from abandoned school classroom’s to some gang member’s measly one bed-roomed flat where he and the others would be forced to sit on the floor. But that was when he was _Jughead_. His old name. The old him. The little homeless kid who was scared of the wind. Cole wasn’t the hunted, he was the hunter. He had been since he had officially accepted his name, as well as his training and duties as a Serpent. So he was never scared. He never had to be. Because he was always the one inflicting pain. He was always the one with his gun pressed against the flesh of _their _neck, or his hands tangled in _their_ hair as he ripped it out strand by strand.

Cole figured it was kind of ironic that now he was the one bound to the chair. He was the one helpless. Clifford Blossom had always been a childhood nightmare. He’d met him once when he was a kid, and the man had taken pleasure in making him squirm. Even if Cole had learned not to be scared, not to be fearful Swallow the pain. He would always be scared of the man who terrified his father. FP Jones did a good job of acting like he wanted to murder the man, but it had been six years and Clifford Blossom was still breathing. Cole pretended he didn’t see the fear flash in his father’s eye when The Blossom’s were mentioned. He knew now, that they had done something to Jason Blossom, and it looked like he, KJ and Camila were going to pay for it.

It was clear Kevin, or Casey, wasn’t the puppet master in their capture. He didn’t stay or explain his bizarre question (“How was your date?”) The boy only straightened up and smiled at him cockily, before leaving the room. That was when Cole had attempted to escape. But the ropes- they were so tight! He could barely breathe from the duct tape pressed over his nose and mouth.

‘KJ, wake up,’ He had tried to yell, but the tape was too strong. His frantic hissing came out as pathetic warbling. He hated being Weak. Defenseless. ‘Archie!’ He had growled, purposely knocking into the other boy who still didn’t move. When Clifford Blossom had sauntered in, Cole had gotten that first dig of humanity in his gut. Fear. He was slowly reverting back to his weak self.

‘Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge.’ Clifford’s voice was smooth as the man entered the room, with a giant smile on his face. Cole couldn’t help it. He stared at the man from his nightmares. The man he had envisioned wiping from existence. Cole regularly had fantasy’s of sticking the revolver of his gun, protruding it into the flesh of Clifford’s neck and pulling the trigger.

_Boom_. No more Clifford Blossom. No more nightmares. No more fear.

‘It’s a pleasure to finally meet Fred, Hiram and FP’s kids.’ He said, and Cole snorted. Oh, they’d met before. And Clifford knew that. He was playing games. The man grinned at Cole, since he was the only one awake. Clifford cocked his head as he neared them. Cole felt every damn creak in the floorboards as the man got closer. He couldn’t help shuffling backwards, swallowing a whine in the back of his throat. The man’s lip curled into a smirk. ‘It’s just a shame it had to be like this.’

Clifford came to stand in front of him, and Cole stared down at the man’s ridiculously shiny shoes. He could see his reflection, a warped version of his face staring down. The huge slab of duct tape covering his mouth. The man knelt down and smirked at him, making him want to headbutt the bastard. Clifford reached out and ripped the tape off of his mouth. Cole winced.

_Ow! _He didn’t say it with his mouth, he only glared up the man with as much Malice as he could muster.

The man chuckled. ‘Oh no need to worry, son.’ He said cheerily. ‘That’s not nearly as much pain as you’re going to be in.’

There it was again. That stab of fear that hadn’t bothered him in so long.

And because he was, at that point, still the cocky son of FP Jones, he swallowed the blossoming fear in his throat and forced a smile. ‘Clifford Blossom.’ He said, trying to make his tone icy and cold. But it was like no matter how hard he tried, he was starting to fall. Drown. Be completely enveloped in his childhood fears. And because he was, at that point, still the cocky son of FP Jones, he  
swallowed the blossoming fear in his throat and forced a smile. ‘Clifford Blossom.’ He said, trying to make his tone icy and cold. But it was like no matter how hard he tried, he was starting to fall. Drown. Be completely enveloped in his childhood fears. He was slowly reverting back to Jughead. ‘How's Jason?' He asked, a curl on his lips. He didn't even know what had happened to Clifford's son, but it gave him deep satisfaction seeing the man's face fall, his eyes darkening significantly. Cole leaned back, anticipating a hit. He winced when his skull smashed into KJ’s, and the other boy let out a soft whine through the tape over his mouth.

‘Jason, as much as I loved my dear boy. He was weak.’ Clifford murmured. His words sent shivers down Cole’s spine. He expected Clifford to say more, but the man straightened up, folding his arms. ‘Alright, Let’s get you to a comfier room, shall we?’

Cole only spat at the man, cringing when he felt spittle dribble down his lip. _Urgh. Way to look intimidating._ Clifford only rolled his eyes. ‘Casey! Young man, come here for a moment!’ He yelled, and before Cole could blink, the boy- Kevin Keller who was in fact “Casey” was by the man’s side in a second. The boy caught his eye for a second, before looking away in disgust, his lip curling.

‘How’re you doing tracking down that Fourth Serpent, Hm? What was her name again?’

Cole swore he noticed the boy flinch, and man, he couldn’t help smirking slightly. Aw. He missed his Betty Cooper. Who was of course suppressed deeply inside Lili Andrews. Casey visibly clenched his fists by his sides, and Cole saw it the more he glared at the boy. He saw Kevin Keller. The kid who had came to her door that night. Kevin Keller who was surely in love with Betty Cooper.

But not in that way, he thought. It was something else- something he, KJ and Camila shared. Friendship. Family.

‘I’m not- entirely sure of her name, Mr Blossom.’ Casey replied. Cole could definitely detect his voice shaking.

‘Well you better find it out.’ Clifford grumbled. ‘I want her dead. She’s a waste I don’t need.’ The man crouched in front of Cole and grabbed his chin. He growled and tried to pull away, but the man gripped it harshly, forcing Cole to look at him. ‘I have my pure snakes.’ He murmured. ‘She’s barely a Serpent anyway.’ Clifford straightened up and smiled at Casey. Except the boy didn’t move. ‘Kill her?’ He said softly, and then cleared his throat and nodded. ‘Yes sir.’ The boy shuffled uncomfortably. ‘Is there any way you would prefer the execution?’

_Sick fuck’s_. Cole thought. Though he wasn't scared for the girl. Lili could look after herself.

Clifford shrugged. ‘Make it fast. She is Alice Cooper’s daughter after all. Which makes her family.’

_‘_Yes sir.’ Casey said, before shooting a glance at Cole. A glance he didn’t completely understand. It wasn’t hate, or spite. It was something else. But before Cole could try and decipher the boy’s facial expression, Clifford was ushering him out before slamming the door. Leaving Cole once again alone with a psychopath and his unconscious brother and sister who he promised he would fearlessly protect. Ever since St. Bartholomew’s. Back when Camila had tatty pigtails and a gap toothed smile and Archie cried at things that went bump in the night. There was a lingering memory- of when they first met. He had been so thirsty and there was only one more carton of milk at dinner. Though the curly red head with the dirty batman t-shirt had gotten to it first. But he hadn’t been the only one. Before he could grab the milk from the red-head, there was a little girl with pigtails and a scowl painted on her face. _Mine._ She had mouthed. But eventually it had become a playful smile, before the three of them ended up chasing each other around the cook’s kitchen trying to win that last carton of milk for themselves. In the end, they shared it.

And here they were - Sweet little _Ronnie_ and _Archie. _They were broken. Twisted and splintered. Their minds had been poisoned. With good intentions of course. FP, Fred and Hiram just wanted their kids to be strong. But hadn’t given them the childhood, as well as healthy upbringing they needed. And now they were monsters who killed with no remorse. Cole couldn’t help _liking_ it when he sliced off a mobster’s ear. It had been drilled into him- into Jughead Jones. That he wasn’t scared. He was a killer.

Cole ducked his head to hide his face. He missed it. Street life. His own innocence. Archie and Ronnie. He missed them.

_Dad._ He wanted to cry out. His lungs felt like they were going to burst. Cole felt like he was back on the old alleyway, sat cross legged on cobbled concrete. Everything was numb. But he had Archie and Ronnie wrapped around him for warmth. He guessed it was a similar situation. Archie and Ronnie were still with him, still bonded to him like the siblings they had always been. But Cole wanted his dad- he wanted FP for the first time in six damn years. But one look at Clifford Blossom’s grinning face told Cole that his father wasn’t coming. He held his breath and glared up at the man, struggling violently in the bonds that tightly held him.

‘Do your worst.’ He spat. _Oh god, please don’t_. Another voice in the back of his mind murmured. Jughead. His weakness.

Clifford laughed. ‘I certainly will, young man!’

Cole tried to say something snarky. Though even when the gag was gone he still couldn’t speak. He was desperate to appear nonchalant. That he didn’t care. That he wasn’t scared. When in reality, he was frightened. No. He admitted it to himself shamefully ducking his head. He was terrified. ‘W-hat exactly do you class as comfy?’ He ended up choking out.

The man smirked and leaned close. So close that his rotten breath wavered against Cole’s cheeks. ‘Do you really want to know?’

Cole didn’t reply, and Clifford’s smile morphed into the grin of a Cheshire cat. ‘It’s a surprise.’ He murmured. ‘I know you like surprises, don’t you, kid? Your father definitely does. That’s why he’s going to see _everything_.’ Clifford chuckled when he must noticed the boy’s lips curl in disgust. ‘What’s your name?’ He murmured. ‘I’m only going to ask you this once. If you lie, then you’ll be in a lot of trouble when we go into the next room. Now tell me, son. What is your name?’

_Forsythe_. He thought automatically. The homeless kid scared of the wind. Cole wanted to say, but the name was stuck at the back of his throat. _Jughead. _The kid who wanted to impress his father, and in doing so, he became a monster. Who of course was called-

‘Cole.’ He said softly, and then swallowed. ‘Cole Jones.’

Clifford seemed to relish in his answer. Though that was when there was a sharp gasp of breath and Cole felt his throat go dry. Archie. _No! _His mind spat back. No, no- it was KJ. His name was KJ. He said it over and over like a mantra. He refused to give in to his real name, to his childhood- to the scared little kid he had been. KJ’s real name was all part of that. And he refused to even think it. Cole felt his friend- his _brother_ let out a soft whine. From the corner of his eye, he saw the boy lift his head of ginger hair, before Cole felt the boy’s hands entangled with his own start to yank and pull relentlessly at the tough ropes bonding the three of them.

The muffled cries made Cole’s heart sink. He wanted to tell KJ it was going to be okay- but it wasn’t. Their parents and Lili were MIA and they were truly at the mercy of Clifford Blossom. Though he wouldn’t be scared. He’d been taught not to be.

Cole forced a smile at Clifford, and the man raised his eyebrows in amusement. Even when he felt like he was breaking apart inside._  
_

_Dad._ He said softly in his head. _Dad, where are you?!_

He put up a front. _‘_Stop struggling, moron.’ He hissed at KJ who stopped automatically, another muffled cry escaping his mouth. Cole twisted back to face Clifford. ‘Mr Blossom wants a chat.’ KJ only let out what sounded like a garbled hiss.

Clifford let out a belly laugh which sent shivers rattling down his spine once again. ‘You kids really are snakes aren’t you?’ He chuckled, before kneeling beside KJ and tearing the tape from his mouth. KJ struggled violently. ‘What the fuck is this?!’ he growled, before letting out a soft moan. ‘Ow, what the hell? Who conked me on the head?’

Clifford chuckled. ‘Like I told your Serpent brother, Mr Andrews. That’s nowhere near the amount of pain you’re going to be in.’

‘What?!’ The boy yelled. Before Clifford quickly re-gagged him. ‘Mpphpphppph!’

Cole heard the breath catch in KJ’s throat, and he couldn’t help it. He lunged forward, baring his teeth- the way his father did when he was interrogating mobsters. _See dad. _Cole thought bitterly. _I’m just like you! _‘Like I said earlier,’ He growled at Clifford

‘‘Let him do his fucking worst.’

Clifford Blossom only let out a belly laugh and re taped his mouth shut. Cole growled, and pulled away. Though the man smirked. ‘Keep resisting, and I won’t hesitate in starting my games earlier on Little Red.’

Cole felt his chest squeeze. KJ. _Archie_. He tensed up, feeling around the boy’s hands to grab reassuringly. Clifford bent down in front of him with a fresh roll of duct tape and this time he didn’t resist. ‘That’s enough talking for now, young man.’

_Oh god, dad. _His mind cries. Before something hard knocks into his head, and he’s vaguely aware of an explosion of pain rattling in his skull before he drifts into inevitable darkness.

~*~

Unfortunately for Cole, he wakes up. His head hurts, of course it does. But he doesn't complain, only grits his teeth and forces himself not to cry. He's dizzy and confused, his mind disjointed. For a second, he forgets where he is. He lifts his head up, wincing when _everything _hurts. Oh god, _everything._

He doesn’t know where he is for a second. Only that he’s strapped to another goddamn chair. The others are beside him. KJ must have received the knockout-treatment too. He knows they’re awake. Only by the frightened gasps Camila is making as she weakly struggles in her chair. For a second, he’s perfectly happy enveloped in the foggy confusion drowning his mind. But then he blinks. Once. Twice. He’s staring at dusty concrete floor and suddenly, with a sharp pang in his chest and a real feeling of actual _fright. _He knows the harsh reality of where this was: Blossom territory. The Blossom basement. The feel of it is automatically claustrophobic. His chest rattles when he inhales dust from the floorboards- the room has a sense of abandonment to it. Brick walls, concrete floors. Cole wants to laugh. _Exactly like a dungeon. _

Footsteps. He doesn’t dare lift his head. Besides, it aches like fuck. Neither do KJ and Camila when he risks a side-glance at them – hopefully, this come across as a gesture of defiance, as the opposite of fear; in reality, it’s a paralyzing fear. Clifford really had done a number on him. Though despite trying to force himself to admit that he _wasn’t _scared. Cole could already feel it. The fake-name, the fake-personality he had put on for so many years. It was slowly becoming undone at the seams. He was unraveling.

Even if no one were here, if the three of them were alone, they wouldn’t have been able to talk to each other, to ask and offer some kind of reassurance, because of the sticky, tight binding across their mouths.Though Cole was already expecting that. It was one of his own methods, when he was on the job. When he was in fact the one doing the interrogating, the torture, and not the other way around.

Yet here he was. The victim. The helpless. Restrained to another fucking chair- awaiting Clifford Blossom’s entrance. He wants to cry out for his dad again, but two things stop him. Obviously the first would be the duct-tape gagging his words. But there was also a sense of pride- that his father had taught him. He would never give in. Not even in the face of danger. In the face of _death _. He would _never _cry out for his father.

But _Jughead _was. No matter how hard he tried to shut the boy up, he wouldn’t stop.

The footsteps get louder, and closer, and Cole feels them resonating through the floor and running up his spine as chilling shivers. He doesn’t cry out. He doesn’t struggle. Cole knows the three of them are trying to hide it, but inside, they know how terrified they are. He thinks about trying to talk, trying to reassure. But that would show his friends- his _family _that he was weak. That he was scared. Which he wasn’t.

The footsteps stop abruptly Cole can only focus on the hard and loud beating of his own heart against his ribs. He’s desperate to get out of here, to find a way out, but how could he manage that? He’s trapped in a chair, leather belt-like straps wrapping round his ankles, waist, and wrists – no, not the wrists, but rather the hand, stretching the fingers out over the edge of the arms of the chair. They, bare, like his toes, feel oddly exposed. Oh god, he knew what this was. He knew _exactly _what this was.

“So,” the voice comes, booming through all the room. It sounds patronizing in its tone, like a subtle laugh, like victory. He’s smug. Clifford Blossom. Cole tries to hold in a flinch, but he can’t help it. 

“Kids.”

No one reacts. KJ and Camila don’t move a single inch, and Cole’s pretty impressed.

Clifford merely grins. “That’s all you are, you know?’ He says, as he enters the room. He wears a business suit and the same shiny-ass shoes from earlier. They tap against the floor. ‘Just kids,’ Clifford murmurs. ‘So don’t try acting like anything else – the rest of you will give it all away.” A smug chuckle punctuates that point. None of the three listen to it, though. Cole is proud of himself.

_Like a little threatening could make them cower. _He thinks, bitterly.

“Now,” Clifford starts, lifting his voice a little, as if to sound kinder. _How old does he think they are?_

“Be smart, and this could be very simple for you. I’m a compassionate man, don’t you know? I won’t be too cruel to you. I’m actually going to ask you something before I bring the pain.” With that, he lets out another laugh, to drive in the message of his cruelty. Cole realizes that laugh is the scariest thing he’d ever heard in his entire life. It sends his heart rate speeding up, this time battering his chest.

He prays the bastard can’t hear it.

Clifford stares at them for a while. Still, none of them raise their heads. He tries scanning them, looking for a possible weakest link, and Cole wants to volunteer. Before the monster can hurt his brother and sister. They all look pretty solid in their places, though, at least for now, so Clifford struggles. He starts at the beginning, and Cole feels his heart sink. _Oh god, no._

He steps over to the right and brings himself in front of the tallest one – the bigger build doesn’t always reflect the person’s toughness, not on the inside. Usually, they’re quite easy to break. Clifford towers over him, from his helpless position in the chair, and leans his head down. Cole twists around to look, even though he really doesn’t want to. He can’t bare seeing someone he loves being hurt. Especially his brother. The boy who he had grown up with. Who had been through the storms when they were helpless little kids on the streets, the cruel punishments when they slacked in training.

“We’ll start with you,” Clifford taunts. Hostility drips off his words, and, cruelly, a sense of thrill does too. When KJ doesn’t look up, Clifford grabs his jaw harshly and forces his head up, arching his neck to make them face each other. He grins down at him, and Cole hopes the man can’t see the sweat the boy is unwillingly producing. “KJ,” he growls, smiling wider. ‘That’s your name, right?’ KJ doesn’t move – instead, in an act of defiance, he sharpens his eyes and tightens his brow, glaring back at him. Cole wants to scream in frustration. _Stubborn bastard! _He knew KJ would never show his fear. Unless he really did break. Which was rare. He hadn’t seen the red-head break ever since his first initial torture. The boy had only been thirteen, and Hiram had forced him to yank out some poor bastard’s teeth.

Though Clifford just laughs at KJ’s strong-will. “Oh, look at that! You’re like a little angered puppy.” He squeezes the boy’s jaw, and finally, KJ winces. “How cute.”

And then, as quick as it comes, the smile falls. A dark expression clouds over the man’s face and he yanks KJ’s head forwards, making even Cole’s neck ache with the force with his body pinned down to the chair. Clifford’s other hand reaches for KJ’s mouth, grabs the tape wrapped over it, and snappily rips it off. Pain flashes across the whole lower half of his face but KJ bites it down, knowing it isn’t that bad. “Your name,” Clifford spits out, glaring at him. “Tell me your real name.”

KJ, obviously, says nothing. He keeps his eyes trained on Clifford’s evil ones – letting them wander would be a sign of weakness, of fear, and Cole knew he won’t dare let any of that show.

Still, even with such defiance, the man’s expression doesn’t change. He doesn’t show any irritation, any amusement, anything. He’s unreadable. And Cole knows deep down it scares KJ.

“Maybe you need it clearer, because you’re a kid,” Clifford sighs, gripping the boy’s jaw tighter and squeezing his bones. A sense of pain skitters through KJ’s face and it makes his face twist up slightly, as hard as he tries to ignore it. The man reiterates: “Tell me your name and I won’t hurt you.”

Names. Cole thinks. He didn’t want their names because he was still unsure if he had The Serpent’s kids. No. He _knew _he had them. The epitome of the torture wasn't the physical. It was psychological. Clifford Blossom wanted them to admit who they really were. Just three scared little kids.

Cole, KJ and Camila weren’t real. Only cover names. And everything that came with them. 

_Say it! _Cole yells mentally. _Jesus fucking Christ, say it!_

Clifford’s eyes sharpen and, as KJ can’t look away, the underlying hostility of the situation becomes horribly apparent through that look, and a terrified shiver runs down his spine because of it, because it’s aimed solely and intensely on him. But, even so, he can’t say anything. He can’t give in. no matter what this man does, no matter what horrors he tries, giving in is not an option. Because he’d been trained to suppress it. _Pain, terror, fear. _Everything. Though how long until he finally broke?

With that, Clifford scoffs, as if he’s already won. “Alright then,” he says, stepping back and letting the boy’s head drop down again. As KJ watches on, hoping the other two aren’t looking, the man reaches his hand into a back pocket in his jeans and pulls something out, bearing that ridiculously smug look of his. This time, within it, is a horrifying glint of excitement. The sadist.

He grins, playing with it between his fingers as if to show his skill with it. “Know what these are?” he taunts, looking KJ dead in the eye. Cole already knows. His stomach twists and he turns to Camila, who’s watching intently her eyes wide. Though not yet fearful.

KJ tries not to gulp. Suddenly his fingers feel horribly exposed in their restraint, and so do his toes, and his tongue, and his gums, and pretty much anything he thinks could be attacked with that thing. If he wasn’t in a cold sweat already, now he certainly is.

_Pincers._

He wants to wriggle away now, but he knows he can’t move a single muscle.

“Well, I tried to be nice,” Clifford shrugs, as if he’s happy it’s come to this. “But now I get to have my fun no matter what you say.” He walks back over to KJ in his chair and yields those horrifying pincers in his hand, taunting him with them.

“Go on,” the man sneers. “Cry out. Beg me to stop. Yell out your name, if you really want. But you asked for this.” He laughs, ecstatic, and grips one of the fingers of KJ’s left hand – he’s going for the middle one. The blood starts to rush through his body, spreading adrenaline along with it, and he can’t deny his body’s fear: he starts to shake, trying to squirm away, and the words burst out his mouth.

He’s already defied rule number one. Said by Hiram so many years ago. _Don’t satisfy your abductor. Don’t speak. Don’t cry out. Do not - I repeat- do not show fear._

“Wait!” KJ cries. “Wait, No!”

“I’ll take a few no matter what you say,” Clifford continues, eyes wide with thrill.

He grips the tip of the nail with the pincers and sharply yanks, pulling it cleanly out.

A scream fills the air, and Cole swears he loses his breath. He flinches at the sound, pained, and not daring to look. _Just stare at the floor _. He tells himself. _Keep looking at the fucking floor._

Tears reach KJ’s eyes, and he’s broken the next rule: _Never show emotion._

“Now, another,” Clifford laughs. The pincers close over another nail, and Cole knows it’s going to happen. His eyes skate across across the concrete splotched with white paint. He knew KJ was already gone. Making way for who he had secretly wished would come back for years.

Until he lost himself. Yet somehow, Clifford Blossom was bringing it all back. Even if he didn’t want to, his real identity sounded better in his mind- in his mouth. Clifford Blossom was a fucking natural.

“NO!” KJ cries, desperate. He can’t stop himself. Suddenly it’s like word vomit. But it feels right. It feels real. Cole would never think that about his own name, but he revels in his friend finally crying out the name that had been pushed back, suppressed by punishment after punishment. A leather belt to his wrist when he forgot it- or, at the very beginning, when he didn’t want to let go of his name.

“ARCHIE! IT’S ARCHIE, OH GOD!”

Clifford stops. The nail isn’t released. “Last name,” he urges, tugging.

Archie practically lets out a squeal. “Andrews!”

A smug laugh sounds from above him and it hits him: his whole body drains of colour, eyes wide in horror, and a defeated trembled breath leaves him frozen in the shock. Archie just… he just gave in. Just like that. He hadn’t meant to, didn’t want to. It just… fell out.

He drops his head, ashamed.

“Archie,” Clifford sighs, enjoying the name. He tilts his head back and lets out a relieved little laugh. “How fitting – for such a wimp.”

Archie does nothing. Now that he had let go of his cover name- his shield- he was broken. He started to cry. Huge gulping sobs that rattled his whole body. He was a kid. Just a kid. The taunt hurts.

“Now then.” He steps over to the next kid. “Camila.”

She doesn’t move. Her whole body is tense. She’s far too aware of Archie’s quiet gasps to her left.

Clifford, grinning leans down. He doesn’t take her head in his hand. “Look at me.”

Camila holds her breath, blocking out Archie, ignoring his betrayal, tightens up her face and raises her head. She glares at the man at fiercely as she can, telling him she won’t take any of his bullshit.

He merely smiles down at her – it’s only brief, for a menacing scowl grows on his face instead. His hand is thrown forwards and catches her throat, squeezing. A choked gasp leaves her on impact and she continues to hold her breath. He tears off her tape. “Name,” he demands, glaring back at her.

She tries not to be intimidated, knowing he won’t strangle her now, but even as she thinks that, she can’t help but feel scared, and as the panic of oxygen deprivation rushes through her body, her eyes betray her by showing him her fear. He doesn’t grin at her for that, because she persists and says nothing. Instead of letting her throat free, he presses harder, forcing her head over the back of the chair. She faces the ceiling as the pincers are retrieved and brought to her hand, closing over one of her nails. For a moment, her eyes go wide in fear, and then she squeezes them tightly shut and braces.

“Veronica!” - oh god. Her too? She had just let go of her name- just like that. Like embracing her childhood self, Ratty pigtails Ronnie with the gap in her teeth. Like it was as easy as ripping off a bandaid. _ Shit, _Camila’s expression softens and her eye fill with childish tears. _You sensitive moron!_

Clifford’s gaze turns right – to the slumped Archie, whose head is now turned to Veronica in panic. His eyes don’t leave her. She was his sister- his..._ something _. Nobody could completely control their feelings. “She’s Veronica!’ He gasps out, no longer trying to hide his terror. He’d let go of the facade along with KJ. "Veronica Lodge. You heard that, right?” He gasps, even more defeated than before. Though his voice hardens and he glares at the man. “So let her fucking go.”

Clifford stares at the red-head. And then he laughs.

“You really are sentimental. That’s a huge weakness for you.” The man murmurs, and Archie’s expression grows hurt and he turns away again. Clifford loves it. “She may have been tough, you know? Holding out ‘til the very end. Not only have you ruined my fun, but you’ve made a mockery of her.”

He draws his hands away and lets her go, leaving hardly a scratch. Archie lets out a shaky breath of relief. But he doesn't try and talk to her. Because Veronica ducks her head and sobs. She cries at how easy it was to turn her from Camila, Hiram Lodge’s fearless daughter who made people shiver at the sight of her smile, of the evil glint in her eyes. And here she was, Veronica once more.

Clifford reaches the last of The Serpent’s kids, and Cole fights against it. The other two broke. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t break. He wouldn’t break. _He wouldn't break!_

“Cole.” Clifford sneers. Cole has a funny feeling, a sharp twist in his gut, that this would be the last time he’d hear that name. He doesn’t stir, not even a little bit. He shows no fear. In a sense, he’s braver than the rest of them, but right now he’s also the most scared, in a way – he’s scared for himself. He doesn’t know how long he can hold out. But he’s determined not to give in. He wants to be _Cole _no matter what. To give out his real name would be not only giving in to this mobster, but also to the identity itself: it would make him a failure. He would no longer deserve the name Cole, and _Jughead _would become him. He can’t let that happen – he has to withstand it, not as much as he can but further than that: to the end. He cannot give out that name. Cole was the name his father had given him. He had achieved so much with that damn name! People _feared _him. Cole was snarky smirks and no compassion and sympathy for not one of his victims. Betty had been that one exception. He had seen potential in her, and turned her into Lili Andrews. And was he about to let go of Cole just like that?

_Never in a million years._

_Dad. _Jughead moans softly in his head, and Cole grits his teeth. _Shut up! Shut up, Shut up!_

Clifford reaches him and tears off the tape. It barely stings. It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt. In fact, now he had control of his best weapon. His mouth. No talking had been a strict rule drilled into them by their parents, but Cole was an exception. He had a nasty tongue, worthy of winding up his abductor.

But he can’t speak. He doesn’t know if it’s _fear _tearing him apart, or something could be seriously wrong with his throat. Because he can’t produce the twisted words in his mind. He wants to taunt the man about his dead son. Jason. The kid The Serpent’s had taken- and _murdered._

Clifford leans down, swinging the pincers, and grins.

“So? Care to give up?” he’s teased. The mobster cocks his head. “Your siblings have, so you might as well too.” Cole says nothing. He doesn’t raise his eyes. Clifford continues. “If you don’t, even if you get through all this, you think I’ll stop there? Torture like this isn’t draining for me – it’s more exhilarating, really.” He scoffs. “I might just move back to sweet little Archie over there and get him to tell me – he seems to be that easy, doesn’t he?” He leans forward, taking Cole’s throat in his hand and forcing them to face each other. _This is fine _, he reminds reminds himself. Blocking out Jughead, who cries out for his brother. _No, no! Don’t let him hurt Archie- oh god, just tell him! Tell him!_

No. Cole thinks. He’d had this before. His transition to Cole on his 13th damn birthday. When he’d been too scared, too childish- to get out of the restraints his parents had set as a test. He remembered how much it hurt. How much the pain motivated his willingness to let go of the child inside. The child inside who was hurting. He was hurting, and not even his father would help him. Only forcing him to continue. To try and escape. ‘_ Dad,’ _He remembered himself whimpering.

‘_Dad, I don’t wanna do this!’ _He had sobbed. Like a kid. Like a stupid kid who was going to disappoint FP Jones and Hiram Lodge. Just another screw up.

But he had let go. Cole had to keep reminding himself that. _Jughead had let go._

It barely hurts. He tells himself. Clifford continues, still threatening Archie, who is staring at the floor. He’s trembling. _Baby. _Cole wants to growl at his brother. _How could he break so easily?!_

“So why don’t you save him the pain?”

_Like I’d give in so easily, _Cole mocks to himself. Alright, if he didn’t have words. He wasn’t completely defenseless. Another part of training: Use _anything _to distract your abductor. He gathers up some saliva in his mouth and spits it into the man’s face, finally getting a look of surprise, of annoyance, onto the bastard’s face making him jump backwards and yell. Archie lets out a hiss. ‘What’s wrong with you? Do you want him to hurt you even more?’ The boy struggles violently. ‘Jughead-’

Cole stiffens at the name. Especially spoken through K- Archie’s lips. But before he can even begin to register it, something he didn’t think he would ever hear again, Clifford Blossom recovered.

'Oh, you – “ A punch swings into the side of Cole’s face with a loud crack. _It’s cool _. He hisses mentally. Lili could hit better than that. The angrier he gets, the faster he’ll be.Yet another training technique. _Use the pain to motivate your next hit. _He’ll run out of things to rip off if he’s mad enough. Clifford Blossom’s head would look amazing impaled through a large bamboo stick. Like a human kebab.

The image in his head suppresses the pain he’s sure is in fact very real, but he refuses to feel it.

Clifford wipes the spit off his face and bears the pincers fiercely. Cole glares at the slick silver edges, and imagines them instead slicing through the man’s neck cutting through flesh and bone.

“Fine!’ Clifford gasps out. He’s no longer smiling. Though that was good. He had successfully wound up his abductor. Something Archie and Veronica had failed at.

“You want pain? I’ll give you pain!”

Clifford brings them to Cole’s right hand and in one quick movement one nail is already gone. The sting of the mutilation pulses harshly through his hand and it brings tears to his eyes. Regrettably, they already fall. But he won’t say it. He won’t. _He won’t, he won’t, he won’t!_

He’s already imagining his father. The look of disappointment on his face. ‘_ You’re a failure.’ _The man murmured, causing Cole’s heart to stop. ‘ _I can’t believe I actually took pity on you as a kid.’_

Clifford’s voice snaps him out of it. “Say what you like – I’ll remove a whole hand of them!”

He starts to do just that: one by one, the fingernails of Cole’s right hand are yanked out from their place, forcing a pained screech to burst out of his mouth with each and every one. It’s fine, he tries to remind himself, gritting his teeth. But the truth is he doesn’t want to go through this twenty times. Even if he had sworn allegiance to his family, to The Serpent’s. The pain was no longer dull, it was real and it was was too harsh. _It hurts so much. _Jughead whimpered softly, deep in his mind.

It’s going to be okay, Cole thinks, it can be fine. He’s desperate to believe it, to believe he can last. He is Cole and Cole can last. He forgets, in that moment, that he’s Jughead too. No matter how hard he tried to push his old self down, as far as he would go. He was Jughead. Cole let out a breathy hiss, but it wasn't just because of the pain. The realization was electrifying. He was breaking too. No matter how hard he tried, Clifford Blossom was winning. He was letting go. He was finally letting go.

Clifford goes for the thumb – a bigger, tougher one – and as Cole feels it being disconnected from his finger he can’t help the sudden cry that leaves his mouth. Though it’s not his. _Jughead._

“Stop!” he screams. “It hurts!” It isn’t even out yet – Clifford’s taking his time with this one.

The man lets out a laugh, and tugs it fully out, causing a horrible ear-splitting yell to leave Cole’s mouth.

“Say it,” he insists, smiling. He closes the pincers over the thumb of the left hand. Desperation shoots through Cole’s body as his thoughts return to the start: he wants to escape. He just wants it to stop! 

“Say it and this will stop.” Clifford murmurs, and Cole lifts his head, his hair a sweaty mess on his forehead. Though he’s no longer glaring at the man. Instead, he looks hopeful. Will he really stop?

Clifford tugs, and, like the tears, the word falls out. Like Archie and Veronica. He finally splinters.

_I’m sorry, dad._

“… Jughead.” He chokes, sobbing. His head drops down in defeat. He swears he hears Archie letting out a quiet gasp. The boy knew how much his new name had meant to him, how much it shieled him. 

Clifford lets out a victorious loud laugh and drops the pincers.“Jughead!” he cries happily, with a mocking laugh. He leans in close, and Jughead wants to scream. He might as well. “Jughead _what?”_

He says nothing. Jughead doesn’t say a word. His voice feels like vomit now.

“… Jones.” In a small voice, Archie speaks up and twists around, his tone hardening. ‘His name is Jughead Jones, you evil bastard. Are you happy now?’ He hisses. Though he’s no longer a Serpent. That name was dropped with his cover name, with the name he had been brought up with.

Clifford continues to laugh, now with more relief in his tone, and walks back over to his sport before them. He faces all of them. None of them look back at him.

“Now,” he starts, loving the defeated atmosphere they now give off. “What happens next?”

No one shifts. Jughead isn’t sure _what _will happen next. Though he’s pretty sure it involved his existence being yanked from the world, by Clifford Blossom.

The man grins more, thrilled. Kids really are too easy. “Now, you kids have a choice.” He says, and Jughead turns and stares at Archie, who is frowning back at him. They’re thinking the same thing. This had happened before. Homeless kids covered in chocolate and pizza, starving to death, offered a choice in front of a roaring fire by three grown men who held weapons at their sides. Jughead still remembered how numb he had felt, sitting next to Archie and Veronica on The Serpent’s couch, bunched up to keep warm. That was where they had been given their new second names. Though unlike back then, back when the threat was much more playful; “We feed you to the rats in the cellar”

This was very real.

“Since you’re the Serpent’s kids, this really this should be a death sentence – and, oh, it is.” Clifford says reaching into his other pocket and pulls out a small blade. He holds it out for them all to see. Jughead ducks his head. He didn’t want to see. He just wanted his dad.

‘Jughead, young man. Lift your head up or I’ll do it for you.’ Clifford growled, and before he could stop himself, he was doing just that. All of his fight was gone. He was tired, he was scared. He was so used to being ordered around by an adult- a criminal. Having it drilled into him from such a young age. Now he was far away from his father, he might as well start obeying Clifford Blossom.

“This is where your lives end. I guess it isn’t too bad, right? Surely it already feels that way.” His eyes drift to Jughead, who flinches.

Already broken. No fight left.

“But! You have a bit of choice. You can still save yourselves.” The man said, his tone darkening. ‘I know what you kids are capable of. Brought up to be vicious fighting machines since childhood. I admit...I see potential.’

Curious, Archie raises his head. ‘What?’ He whispers. Echoing Jughead’s thoughts.

Clifford grins. “Join the Blossoms.” He said. ‘Let me teach you our ways. I reckon with your skills and the ones I'm willing to teach you, I can make something beautiful out of you.’

Jughead struggles in his chair. He's in so much pain- so much suffering. Whatever the man wanted, he'd- he’d give it him. Just to make the pain stop. Besides. Maybe he wouldn't have to completely revert back to his weak self if he joined Clifford.

Veronica, however, has other thoughts. She scoffs loudly. “Like hell!” She spits. “Do you really think we’ll just go against our parents?”

Archie cringes and turns away. Jughead knows he’s considering it too. The boy’s cheeks are streaked with tears, his eyes bloodshot. Archie just wanted it all to be over.

Clifford waits for a moment, to see if he’d get any other responses. He gets none.

He swings the knife between his fingers and walks slowly over to the only one with a voice anymore, apparently. Jughead wonders if she really is toughest one out of them, after all.

“Maybe you don’t understand this properly because you’re only kids,” he reiterates, bringing himself behind Veronica. Once again a rush of Deja Vu passes over Jughead. It was almost exactly the same as the first time.

“If you refuse to join us, you’ll die. And it won’t be pretty. It won’t be easy or quick or painless, either. Are you prepared for that?”

Veronica doesn’t say a word to that, but her fierce look remains.

Clifford glances over to Archie, who’s staring worriedly at the knife is his hands with wide eyes. He grins, knowing he’s far too weak.

“Fine then.”

He grips Veronica by the hair and tugs her head back, cranking it over the edge of the chair and presses the knife into her throat. She lets out a squeak of fright. “NO!” Archie cries, voice straining with the effort.

“Then say it,” Clifford persists. “Or she dies right here.”

Archie’s face reveals his turmoil: his eyes tear up, his bottom lip trembles, and his brow strains with worry. And, to make it worse, Veronica shoots him an angered snarl.

“Don't you dare-” Veronica lets out a sob. “K-” she flinches and gives up with the cover names. “Archie, I'll never forgive you!”

The boy says nothing. So Clifford continues.

“Which should go first? The girl or the two of you? She’ll get it quick, but you two won’t. You’ll be tortured ‘til you beg us for death. We’ll bring you to a limbless, skinless, toothless, eyeless form if you try to retain your pride – “

“No.” Jughead says softly. ‘Veronica, shut the fuck up,” he hisses. “Do you want to die?!”

‘Now,’ Clifford says softly. ‘Are you a Blossom or a Serpent?”

Jughead swallows whatever pride he has left. He still can't say it. He twists around to face his brother, who's shaking with anger “Archie.” He growls, and gives the boy a long look.

_Just say it. _He says with his eyes. Before turning away and staring at the floor.

Archie keeps his gaze on the boy, worried, inspecting him. Jughead doesn’t look back up at him – he keeps his head turned away.

Clifford rubs his hands. “Oh, so it's in Archie’s hands is it?” He says excitedly.

Ashamed, Archie closes his eyes tightly and forces out the words: “Fine.” He says.

Clifford’s smile stretched wider. “Okay then, son,’ He kneels in front of Archie, still holding the pincers. ‘Are you a _Serpent _,’ he says, before stabbing the pincers into the back of the redhead’s hand. Archie let out a yelp.

“Or a _Blossom _?” He challenged.

Archie gritted his teeth, holding in a whine. “Bl-Blossom’s.” He said softly. Clifford frowned. “Sorry, what was that?” _Stab _. Jughead squeezed his eyes shut. The boy let out another howl of agony. “I can do this all day, Archie!” Clifford yelled, and, somehow, the boy finally broke once more.

“Blossom’s!” Archie roared, lunging in his chair, his teeth bared like an animal.

Veronica let out a shriek, trying to throw herself out of her chair. “Archie, you traitor!”

Clifford laughed out loud, reveling in the pain etched over the Andrews boy’s face. ‘Excellent!” He said brightly, before his eye caught the green tint of the snake tattoo entwined around Archie’s restrained wrist.

Clifford’s eyes narrowed. ‘We’ll start by removing that monstrosity. Blossom’s are pure through and through.’ He sighs before straightening up with a cheerful smile. “Okay, so now you're on board. How about we see if the final Serpent child has been caught?”

Jughead felt his mouth run dry. Lili. Except Kevin Keller had been sent after her- and as far as Jughead was concerned, the boy loved her. He wouldn't kill her. It had been written all over his face. He had to count on that.

“But first!” Clifford hadn't finished yet. “How about some new names?” He winks at Jughead. “Jughead Blossom,’ he murmurs, playing with the name on his tongue. Jughead thinks about laughing. They were just three kids being tossed from family to family. The man’s eyes swerve to Archie once again. His favorite victim. “What's your name?” Clifford asked softly, his lips a triumphant smile.

“Archie.’ The boy said, without hesitating. “My name is Archie Andrews.’

_Idiot. _Jughead thinks. Not anymore.

Clifford shook his head, fiddling with the pincers, making Jughead wince. “Lets see how long it takes you kids to remember your new names.’

_~*~_

Lili Andrews wondered what Cheryl Blossom ate for lunch, because she was pretty sure the girl ate large paving stones. Lili struggled under the weight of the unconscious girl draped over her shoulders. Fred was on his way, and she had found herself actually excited to show him her catch. Cheryl Fucking Blossom. Clifford’s daughter who they had been after in the first place. Who she had been mistaken for. Now they had leverage. Yes- Clifford had The other Serpent kids. But now The Serpent’s had Cheryl.

Lili managed to get the girl in the back of Fred’s old beaten up ranger-rover. It was nothing special. She simply rolled the girl, unceremoniously, into the boot. Lili had made sure to zip-tie her wrists together. Just in case she woke up. Now Lili just had to wait. She stood, shivering, in the bitter fall breeze. She wrapped her arms around her chest, pulling her Serpent jacket tighter around her. But it was no use. Her tights were ripped, and the crappy dress-shirt she had been wearing for what felt like forever, wasn’t exactly winter-proof. But she had been taught to swallow the complaints bubbling in her throat. Suppress her emotions. It wasn’t hard. She just had to picture something _warm. _

Turkey dinner. She thought, her mouth watering. With all the trimmings. Followed by a large cup of Starbucks hot chocolate with cream and melted marsh-mellows. Lili realized her eyes were stinging, and scoffed loudly. Of course Betty Cooper would come out at a time like this. She leaned further into the boot and glanced down at the heels Camila had let her borrow. She had totally wrecked them. 

Lili was seriously considering standing in a puddle to get all the dirt, grime and Scrawny Tony’s blood off of Camila’s prize heels, when she heard something behind her. She twisted around, ripping her gun from its holster and pointing it blindly, gritting her teeth. She teased the trigger, scanning the darkness. 

‘Who’s there?!’ She demanded, stepping away from the car, stumbling in her heels. Man, it was cold. Lili shivered, her breath billowing in the icy air. She scanned for an enemy, but first, all she saw were dumpsters spilling trash and what looked like an ancient cardboard box and blanket belonging to someone homeless. Lili spat on the ground, before taking a deep breath. 

‘Fine,’ she said, her voice trembling. ‘I warned you.’ She was about to squeeze the trigger and try and scare whoever lurked in the darkness, but something stopped her dead. She lowered the gun, and took a step backwards. A boy around her age had stepped out from behind the dumpster and was pointing his own gun at her. But her mouth went dry when she saw the familiarity, and realized who it was. 

Her voice came out choked, and she let out a hysterical laugh. ‘Kevin?!’


	7. Smiley Face

~

CHAPTER 8 - Smiley face.

All at once, Lili felt the past few months, her time with the Serpent’s- her training and everything she knew disperse in her mind. She took a shaky breath as it danced in the air, billowing wisps of white. She was suddenly Betty Cooper once again. The scared little girl she had pushed to the back of her head. Lili felt a mixture of emotions fill her, and this time she didn't try and suppress them. Because her old life, no matter how hard she had tried to let go of it, had come back to haunt her. Lili stared hard. Kevin. Kevin Keller was standing in the shadow, and was pointing a gun directly at her head. Lili held her breath and kicked off her heels. In her head, that seemed like a good idea. Like taking off Camila’s fancy heels would make her less of a Serpent. It was almost laughable.

“Betty.” Kevin murmured, taking a step forwards, further out of the dark. Lili flinched at the name, but she didn't hate it. It had been months since she had been called that. Lili frowned at the boy, all the the words she wanted to pour out to him were stuck at the back of her throat. In the end, all she managed to choke out was, “What happened to you?”

She was right to say that. Kevin Keller didn't look like Kevin Keller anymore. Gone was his sweater vest and wide grin, which she had at one point thought was permanently etched to his face. Kevin wore a dark blue collared shirt which was disheveled, his collar wonky. There were scarlet smears decorating the seams of his shirt. He wore a jacket over the top and jeans. His dark hair was a scruffy mess, damp from the rain. His expression was neutral, his eyes dark, lips slightly curved into a smirk.

Something was wrong. But Lili was blinded by the relief that flooded through her. She might as well as been wearing rose tinted glasses, peering through the boy who was definitely not Kevin Keller.

“Kev.” She said softly, raising her arms. “It's okay, it's me.” She dropped the gun and it clattered loudly on the cobbled concrete. She figured it was too late now. He had already seen her transformation.

It was as if a switch had been pressed. The boy blinked. The smirk became a frown and his eyes widened.

Kevin lowered the gun slowly, and she felt her chest relax. “Betty?” He said softly, his expression falling. He squinted, peering through her scruffy strawberry blonde hair, her skimpy clothing and the fact she was still barefoot. Lili had counted on Fred bringing her some new shoes. She felt the boy’s eyes on her, automatically judging her for the wrong decisions. Lili crossed one leg over the other, ducking her head.

Kevin took a few stumbled steps forward. “Oh god, is that really you? Betty, I've been looking for you everywhere, where the hell have you been?” Before she knew what was going on, the boy was opening his arms, wrapping them around her. At first she tensed up, trying to pull away. But Betty Cooper was stronger. She fell into him, letting Kevin envelope her.

She felt his warmth, his soft hands rubbing circles on her back, and suddenly she broke. She couldn't help it. Mobsters she could deal with. But best friends from her past, who had single handedly tracked her down with their own father’s gun?

Lili felt tears dribble down her cheeks as she pressed her head of filthy hair into the boy’s chest and he squeezed her tighter. “I'm sorry,’ she gasped out, her voice strangled by sobs. “Kev, I didn't mean to just leave, I-” She was halfway through pouring everything out to him, about the Serpent’s and Clifford Blossom, her infatuation for three kids she was terrified had been killed, leaving her alone.

But then she realized that Kevin’s embrace was suddenly far too constricted. He squeezed her tighter, so tight she felt her breath leave her lungs, and she tried to pull away, letting out a sharp gasp. “Kevin,” she hissed, letting out a cry when his grip became more secure, like a vice was clamped around her chest. Lili felt shivers skitter down her spine when she felt his lips, cold as ice, press against her ear as he squeezed the breath out of her.

“A _Serpent_, Lili?” He hissed in disgust, chuckling darkly. Lili had been so sure he had dropped his gun, but she felt the harsh metal of the barrel suddenly protruding into her left temple.“Really?”

“What?” She could only splutter in surprise. She winced when the boy dug the barrel deeper. “Betts, chill.” He laughed when she struggled violently, letting out a sob. His laugh was twisted. “Dude, are you scared of me?”

_“Rule number one, Lili.” Hiram’s voice trickled through her thoughts. “Never show fear to your enemy.”_

Was Kevin really her enemy? Lili had already broken the other rules. She had been blinded by her emotions, and broken down in front of him. Lili felt sick. Fred would be disappointed.

_He knew.  
_

Panic started to twist inside her, and she hissed out a breath, but he only pressed the gun deeper, which hurt. But she was able to swallow the pain and concentrate on the facts battering her.

Kevin knew her name. Her new name. Lili felt Betty Cooper fade, as if the girl inside her had suddenly given up fighting for control now knowing that her best friend was now her enemy. Lili swallowed a sob and strained away, snarling, her teeth bared, when the boy held on. “Get the hell off me!” She screamed, trying to batter at his chest. To her surprise, the boy did. The second she was released from his death grip, her instincts kicked in. She spun around and dived into the ground, ignoring the pain when her knees smashed into the concrete, and reached for her gun before swinging it around, pointing it at Kevin. Her hands were shaking. “Who the hell are you?!” She demanded, and when the boy opened his mouth to answer, she choked out a sob she couldn't seem to suppress. “I mean- I mean who the hell do you work for?!” She demanded, her finger teased the trigger but she knew she would never pull it. Just like Scrawny Tony had teased, she didn't have the guts. She was still weak.

_She was still Betty Cooper._

Kevin rolled his eyes and dropped his gun, holding his hands up in surrender. “Relax, I'm not going to shoot you.’ He muttered, his brows raising. “Are _you _going to shoot me, though?” His lips twisted into a smirk and Lili recognized it automatically. That look, that smirk and evil glint in his eyes- she’d seen it in Cole’s gaze when she had first met him. Lili felt her chest squeeze. She didn't lower her weapon, but she did retract her finger from the trigger.

“Tell me,” she growled, glaring at the boy, who didn't look the least bit fazed. “Who the hell do you work for?” She couldn't help sputtering. “And since when did you become part of the Junior Mafia?”

Kevin smirked and cocked his head. ‘ “You can talk.” he grinned, and Lili was momentarily taken aback by one of his bright smiles. _That_ was Kevin Keller. He took a slow step forwards, and she kept the gun trained on him. “Anyway.” He muttered, his eyes darkening once more. “To cut a long story short, I’m Casey.” He smiled, offering his hand, his eyes were playful. “Nice to meet you, Lili.”

Lili stared at him, baffled.

_Casey? Who the hell- _

"What are you talking about?” She demanded. “That's not- that's not your name!”

Kevin seemed to be enjoying himself. He folded his arms across his leather jacket. “And Lili isn't yours.”

Lili swallowed a retort, and focused on what mattered. “Fine.” She muttered. “Who do you work for _Casey_?” She spat his name like venom, and he grinned. “Wow, you really are a snake aren't you?”

When she didn't reply, only glaring at him, he sighed. “Clifford Blossom.”

Lili felt her gut twist into knots. “You?” She interrupted with another hiss. He was right. She _was_ starting to sound like a snake. She let out a disbelieving laugh. “_You_ work for Clifford Blossom?”

Kevin rolled his eyes again, and before she could react, he was lunging forwards, disarming her gun and grabbing her, pushing her against the wall with strength she didn't think he was capable of. Lili struggled to breathe as he grabbed her throat, digging his fingernails in. “It's hard to believe, right?” He let out a breathy laugh, before letting her go once more.

Lili didn't run. She rubbed at her throat, wincing. “What do you want?” She hissed.

Kevin shrugged and pulled his gun from his holster. “Clifford Blossom ordered me to kill the fourth Serpent.” He said, his eyes boring into hers. “Which is you.”

Lili glowered at him. ‘Did you track me down?’ She demanded, and he snorted. ‘Admittedly, yes. But for a good reason.’ He messed around with his gun which was now attached to his belt.

Lili flinched, but kept her eyes steely and cold. She copied his stance, folding her arms across her chest. “And?” She spat, unable to stop herself from smiling, her tone sultry and sweet. _Betty Cooper._ “Are you really going to kill your _best friend?”  
_

Kevin narrowed his eyes. ‘I’d kill a snake.’ He muttered, and then his expression brightened. ‘Speaking of which! There’s no such thing as The Serpent’s children anymore,’ Kevin smiled lightly. But his eyes were hollow.

Lili felt goosebumps prickle over her neck. ‘What’s he done to them?’ She growled, and the boy smirked. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ Kevin said, but his voice broke slightly. He tipped his head back with a sigh. ‘Last time I saw them, or rather…heard them,’ He scratched the back of his head looking uncomfortable. ‘They were screaming their names while Cliff hacked off their nails.’

Lili felt bile rise in her throat. He had to be lying. She couldn’t imagine KJ, Cole or Camila in pain, or even crying out. To her, they were impenetrable. But Kevin wasn’t finished. ‘As of an hour ago, your snake pals joined The Blossom’s.’ He said, but he didn’t sound exactly happy about it. She gaped at him. ‘They’d never-’ she stumbled over her words, overwhelmed with what he was telling her. ‘They’d never betray their parents.’ She said coldly, and Kevin sighed and leaned forward, his breath dancing across her cheeks. ‘Look,’ he said softly. Betty, You think you know these kids. You think they’re strong?“ He laughed lightly. Do you know how long it took for Clifford to break them?’

She didn’t answer. Kevin wasn’t smiling. ‘Three and a half minutes.’ He said. Lili tried to pull away, but he had her pinned against the wall. Lili started to panic as once again- _Betty Cooper_ made a re-appearance in the form of anxiety and fear tearing her apart, weighing down on her chest. She was struggling to register Kevin’s words. Cole, KJ and Camila had joined Clifford unwillingly- they had been tortured, forcing them to join The Blossom’s, and now she was the only one left. They weren’t classed as hostages anymore, or having been kidnapped. Clifford had made them Blossom’s. Just the thought made her want to hurl.

She couldn’t even imagine what their parents were going to say. Clifford Blossom was their main enemy, their rival. If they knew he had tortured their kids and forced them to become part of his family, Lili was sure she’d see another side to gentle Fred Andrews. She told herself that Clifford couldn’t _do_ anything to them. If she struck quickly and quietly, she would get them out.

Lili swallowed her fear and forced Betty deep, deep down. She could handle this. She would get them back. It couldn’t be hard- breaking into The Blossom mansion. She, FP, Fred and Hiram would get them back before Clifford could cause any damage.

The more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed. The Serpent Parents had told her about Clifford Blossom. How evil, sick and twisted he was. She knew KJ, Cole and Camila were terrified of him. Despite their fearless attitudes.

‘Oh, and Cheryl.’ Kevin added, making her wince. ‘Keep her. Clifford doesn’t want her anymore,’ He looked like he was regretting every word, and Lili started to realize slowly, that _her_ Kevin Keller wasn’t completely gone. He was still in there.

Lili looked Kevin directly in the eye, before shoving him away. Hard. He stumbled, but quickly regained his footing. ‘So, what now?’ She pressed, slitting her eyes. ‘Are you going to kill the fourth Serpent kid?’’ she hissed, channeling her inner Camila and grinning widely. She didn’t feel comfortable, but she had to put on a facade. If she didn’t, Kevin would know she was breaking apart inside.

Kevin frowned at her, before he reached out, seizing her arms once more. She didn’t fight back. ‘I don’t know, am I?’ He murmured in her ear. Lili shivered, but didn’t back down. Didn’t act afraid. Because deep down, she knew he would never kill her.

_Come on_. She thought desperately. Kevin’s grip loosened slightly.

‘You’re right,’ He sighed, letting her go once more. ‘I can’t kill you, Betty.’ He stepped back and smiled at her, and she swears she can detect the slightest wink. It’s then that she knows she’s being watched. _They_ were being watched. She felt a flood of relief and relaxed slightly. Fred. She could sense him lurking in the darkness, awaiting her signal. But she would never give it. Lili nodded discreetly at Kevin, and his lips quirked slightly, into what might have been a smile. He turned and walked away, shoving his gun back in his jeans. ‘If you try and save them, I promise you Lili, I won’t hesitate in killing you like I was supposed to.’ The sounds of his footsteps getting progressively further away made her chest ache. She wanted to run after him so badly.

But she had to stand her ground. To any onlookers, she was a Serpent, and he was a Blossom. Who had just spared her life.

Kevin disappeared into the shadows, and once he was gone, Lili let go of the breath she had been holding. She had seconds. Fred would come bounding out any moment, and she had to know- Kevin had left her a message. The wink had meant something. He was working with her, not against her. Lili straightened up and reached into her jacket pockets, pulling out a small slip of paper he must have shoved in when had grabbed her. She unraveled it and smoothed it out, her gaze flickering over a message printed in red pen on crumpled lined paper. There were two email addresses. One was circled. Which she presumed was hers to use.

**YOU NEED TO RESCUE YOUR SNAKES. AS MUCH AS I HATE THEM, THEY DON’T DESERVE WHAT CLIFFORD HAS IN STORE FOR THEM. I’LL UPDATE YOU WHEN I CAN. USE THE EMAIL ADDRESS. I COULD DIE FOR THIS. USE IT.  
**

Then, underneath; **LOOK AFTER HER.  
**

Cheryl. She thought. He was talking about Cheryl. The girl she had stuffed in the boot of Fred’s car. The girl who was supposed to be leverage to get The Serpent Kid’s back. But now her father didn’t even want her back. That was going to be a hard conversation with Fred, Hiram and FP. Lili looked up and sighed, wrapping her arms around her chest for warmth. She crumpled the paper up and stuffed it in her pocket. ‘Lili!’ She jumped at Fred’s voice, and KJ’s, and now _her_ father was running over, worry lines creasing his forehead. ‘Are you okay?’ He frowned at her. ‘Lili, why did you let the Blossom kid go? He could have been more leverage!’

Lili shrugged. ‘He disarmed me.’ She muttered. Which wasn’t a lie. Kevin still had her gun. Fred rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist. Not harshly. But just like a worried father would. He started to pull her back down the alleyway, and she stumbled, wincing when her bare feet scathed the concrete. Fred noticed. ‘Why aren’t you wearing shoes?!’

‘Lost them.’ She muttered. Fred chuckled. ‘You’re clumsy, just like KJ.’ He sighed, and his face fell for a second, before he cleared his throat. ‘Alright, where’s the car? What’s the surprise?’ They made it out of the alley, back onto the main street. There were still people crowding the streets, and Lili felt ridiculous as she stumbled along as her bare feet slapped the sidewalk.

‘Cheryl Blossom.’ She murmured, and when Fred let out a quiet gasp, she shook her head, and didn’t realize tears were suddenly streaking down her face. Everything suddenly piled up on her. Her chest ached, her throat felt choked and she had to duck her head to swallow a sob. She couldn’t stop thinking about KJ, Camila and Cole. Imagining them suffering at the cruel hands of Clifford Blossom. Then there was Kevin, her friend she had found out was a member of The Blossom’s. But he was still helping her.

Fred stopped walking. ‘Lili, what is it?’ He gently grabbed her shoulders, his brown eyes wide with worry. ‘Did you just say you had Cheryl Blossom?’ He smiled softly. ‘That means we’re closer to getting the kids back, okay?’’

Though Fred’s words only made her heart ache._ He didn’t know._ Fred didn’t know that his son was gone- that Cole, KJ and Camila were no longer Serpent’s, now being controlled by Clifford Blossom. And she had to tell him.

‘There’s something…’ she stumbled over her words. Betty Cooper was enveloping her, taking her over. She felt weak. Pathetic. Helpless. Scared. Her eyes stung with tears and she swiped at them harshly.

‘Fred, there’s something I need to tell you.’

ONE YEAR LATER

Lili Andrews frowned at the computer screen. She was still nursing a black eye from training earlier, so every time she squinted, she winced when pulses of agony pulverized her left temple. Fred had told her repeatedly to grab an ice-pack but she had been so exhilarated about _finally_ taking down a grown man, FP Jones, she had shoved it away when he had offered her one. Far too full of pride and happiness that after months of training, she- Lili Andrews- daughter of Fred Andrews- had taken down FP Jones. He hadn’t been exactly easy, but after studying him, finding all his weaknesses and pressure points, it was a piece of cake. Hiram had awarded her with a brand new Serpent jacket and she couldn’t have been happier. Except now, she was starting to regret not taking the ice-pack. FP’s multiple hits to her face with a steel knuckle ring was really taking its toll on her aching head.

Lili stretched out on the bed, cradling her face into her pillows. She had been given her own room, as well as the luxury to decorate it how she wanted it. Lili had picked a dark blue, with cream curtains. As far away from Betty Cooper’s perfect pink and pastel bedroom as possible. She looked up and took a moment to gaze around her room, at the bookshelf filled with every Thriller and Horror she could get her hands on. Anything was a distraction. She had considered venturing into KJ’s room and having a go on his PlayStation, but there were too many memories that battered her the second she stepped over the threshold. There was that first night which always seemed to come back to her, no matter how hard she tried to push it deep into the back of her mind…

**~**

_KJ’s room was huge. Betty should have expected it, but when she walked in, she was greeted to a room the size of her bedroom and Polly’s put together. It was plastered with movie posters, guitars strewn all over the floor. There were multiple beanbags sitting in front of a large flat screen TV hooked up to a PlayStation 4 with mountains of games piled next to it. KJ’s bed was un-made and messy, what you would expect from a teenage boy. His Serpent jacket was flung over the covers, along with different comic books she couldn’t see the names of.  
_

_Betty stared hard at the TV screen, trying to register what the hell was going on. She had heard KJ mention the name of the game repeatedly, but her brain refused to process it. Remember it. She sat in a heap in the red-head’s room, slouched in a blue beanbag as the others sat around her. KJ and Cole lying on their fronts on the bed, and Camila cross legged next to her. Betty watched Cole control a small red cartoon character- a fox? as it bounced and spun through level after level, collecting what looked like apples as he went. The game seemed to be causing a thrift between The Serpent’s kids. Though it wasn’t what she was expecting. Their were no weapons drawn, or real threats. It was just playful shoving and childish taunts bouncing between the three of them as she stayed silent with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her hair was dry, and Camila had combed it so it was smooth and silky, brushing the tops of her shoulders. Once again, Betty was baffled at just how different the three of them were, when they weren’t on a mission or assignment.  
_

_Cole was yelling at KJ, when the red-head had the controller, his expression scrunched up in concentration. He still had flecks of red hair-dye in his hair and splattered all over his shirt. Camila was watching the screen with a small smile, laughing loudly every time one of the boy’s died. ‘Why do you suck so much at the under-water levels?!’ Cole exclaimed, trying to snatch the controller off of the red-head, who protested loudly, keeping a tight hold of it. ‘Asshole.’ KJ muttered, his gaze glued to the screen. ‘At least I completed the first boss.’  
_

_‘A blindfolded four year old could do the first boss level!’ Cole shot back, giggling and shoving the boy, who pushed him back.  
_

_Betty sat still and watched the three of them. It was like watching a bizarre animal documentary. Camila eventually grabbed the controller off of the two of them. ‘Let the girls show you how it’s done.’ She smiled brightly, before turning to her. ‘Do you want a go?’  
_

_Betty was speechless. In the end she ended up nodding silently, and took the controller. She had never played the damn game before, and struggled through the first level as she slowly meandered the little red fox over large holes in the ground. The other three were silent, and she couldn’t bare the white noise buzzing in her ears, or the fact that they watched her every move. Betty sighed and relaxed a little, leaning back in the beanbag. Admittedly, she could have clicked off the game and somehow called out SOS to somebody on PlayStation Live. But she figured the likelihood of succeeding when three heavily trained psychopathic teens were inches away from her was slim.  
_

_Betty wasn’t concentrating and ended up falling down another hole, and KJ finally broke the silence with a quiet scoff. ‘You’re worse than Cole,’ He smirked at her, and she ended up smiling back with a shrug. ‘So, what animal is he exactly?’ She asked uncertainly.  
_

_‘A Bandicoot, moron.’ Camila said lightly. ‘It’s in the name!’  
_

_Betty frowned. She was slowly getting better at the game. She tapped the X button and double-jumped over what looked like an enemy, or something that would surely kill the little red thing. ‘Where even is he?’ Why can he jump and spin?’ She couldn’t help asking, squeezing the controller. Cole chuckled. ‘It’s a game, Lili.’ He murmured. ‘Just a stupid kid’s game KJ is obsessed with…for some reason.’  
_

_‘It’s not a kid’s game!’ The red-head shot back, and Betty couldn’t help smiling. Eventually she completed the level, and Camila was quick to grab the controller off of her. ‘My turn!’ Though Cole groaned. ‘You takes ages, though! Why do you get every single box?’  
_

_Camila’s gaze didn’t leave the bright colorful screen as she led the little red Bandicoot through another platform level. ‘Because if you get all the boxes, idiot, you get a gem.’ She turned and grinned at Cole, who stuck his tongue out at her. ‘You’re still fucking weird, Cam.’  
_

_‘She has to be perfect at everything,’ KJ joined in, laughing. ‘Better at weapons training, fitness training, aaaand Crash Bandicoot.’_

_Camila rolled her eyes, still not turning away from the game. ‘I’m a perfectionist, get over it.’ She smiled sweetly at Betty, and she couldn’t help shivering. No matter how hard she tried to register the kids who she was with now- there was almost that straying thought at the back of her mind; What if they suddenly turned on her? What if they just snapped and ended up changing their minds and killing her?_

_Betty risked glancing around, and caught Cole’s expression lit up by the game, as he stared intensely at Camila’s efforts. His green eyes were wide with anticipation, his lips curling into a grin every time the girl let out a hiss of irritation when she died. But Betty found herself not just looking at his expression, inspecting him to see if he really was going to snap and become the boy who terrified her. Instead, she stared at his golden skin, his dark chocolate curls flopping over his forehead. He caught her eye then, and she flinched. But he only smiled warmly. There was no trace of the psycho she had pegged him as. He cocked his head. ‘You okay?’ He frowned, sitting up on KJ’s bed. Cole looked worried for a second, as if he was expecting her to jump up and make a break for it- try and escape._

_But something was stopping her. Was it KJ’s friendly smile, as he too eyed her, his eyebrows creasing with worry, or Camila shoving the controller back into her lap, egging her on to attempt another level. Betty couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to leave. Not like they would let her go anyway, but she found that feeling of terror slowly dispersing from her gut. She forced a smile at Cole, and felt a pang in her chest. It only lasted a few seconds, but she was pretty sure what it was. She shivered. Kevin would be happy for her.  
_

_Well…considering the circumstances, Betty was sure Kevin would highly disapprove. But she still felt the twist in her stomach, and the blush in her cheeks. ‘I’m fine.’ She told the three of them softly, before she took the controller and continued on with the game._

_~  
_

Lili might have been in agony with her head, but she could still see the screen. Emails she should have replied to were piled up on the screen one after the other. They all displayed a subject, highlighting dates that had long since passed.

Lili knew she should have replied to each and every one of them when she had received them. But Kevin’s slip of paper had been found in her old jacket by Hiram, and he had told her, actually showing emotion she didn’t think he had; that his daughter was dead. At least to him. To all of them, KJ, Cole and Camila were dead. Even when they weren’t…even when Lili knew they were alive. They just weren’t Serpent’s. They were like Kevin, only unwilling. Though something told her that they weren't unwilling anymore.

They were Blossom’s.

The night she had told their parents, she had met a different side to The Serpent Parents. Pain. Vulnerability. None of them had cried, but she knew they had been close. And then, Hiram had told her, practically spitting it in her face, not to track them down. Not to go after them.And not to reply to Kevin. She hadn’t understood at first, and they had been quick to tell her, with grim expressions, that Clifford Blossom had a certain way of turning any soul into his mindless puppet.

But that’s not what Kevin was, she had argued. But they hadn’t listened. There was to be no talk of them. Any of them. Their room’s were left abandoned, still filled with their possessions, their childhood scattered over each bedroom carpet. In KJ’s there had been comic books, boxer shorts and PlayStation games. Camila’s; piles of clothes, shoes and all the classic books. When Lili had gathered the guts to go inside Cole’s, there were half empty drawing pads all over his desk. One was still opened to a sketch he was working on before he was taken. He had been drawing some kind of landscape she didn’t recognize. It looked like a beach.

Lili had complied at first. Not daring to go against The Serpent’s. But she still read every email. At points, even when she was a fully fledged Serpent, a killer, she still cried. She still cried for her friends. The kids who she gotten to know and realized they weren’t quite as monstrous as she thought. Just three lost kids brought up strictly by criminal parents. Lili wanted to reply, she wanted to tell Kevin that she was alive- that she was okay. That Cheryl was too. But every-time her fingers touched the keyboard, she froze. She didn’t know what to say. Kevin’s messages had gotten progressively shorter, until the last one. The one she was staring at now, her eyes filled with tears. Her head still fucking hurt. but she was feeling the agony of the words painted across the screen.

The emails started quickly, just a few weeks after her encounter with the boy. There was one thing she didn’t understand though. Kevin had used letters instead of names to keep the messages as cryptic as possible. But the emails were constantly filled with A, V and J. _Who the hell were they?_ Kevin’s messages were sometimes hard to decipher because he used the same letter for different names. C=Clifford and C=Cheryl. Though she got the idea. Clifford Blossom had brainwashed The Serpent kids, and it looked like they had finally submitted, after a full year of resisting. Lili’s heart ached for them. At least they_ had_ resisted.

Lili leaned forward on her bed, her eyes flicking through the messages once again.

[C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com](mailto:C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com)

To

[LA_09HY564@gmail.com](mailto:LA_09HY564@gmail.com)

**Subject: Date: 10/15/2015**

Hey. Nothing to update. To be honest, nothing has happened. J seems to be resisting still, so C is going to put all three of them through some kind of procedure. I’m not completely sure what it is though. A and V are as okay as they can be. Though C is impatient. If they don’t submit soon, he’ll kill them. I hope you know what you’re doing. Your snakes don't have much time.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~

[C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com](mailto:C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com)

To

[LA_09HY564@gmail.com](mailto:LA_09HY564@gmail.com)

**Subject: Date: 01/03/2015**

Why aren’t you replying to these emails? I specifically told you I’d give you updates on your pets, and you’re not even bothering to  
reply? Do The Serpent’s restrict your internet access? Anyway, all three of them have responded well to whatever C did to them. He’s not going to kill them, they’re vital. I think he’s doing this solely to piss off F, H and F. A punched me in the face earlier for no reason. I hope you have good memories of K, because A is an even bigger asshole than he was when he was an S.

By the way: Your mom is quiet. She knows you’re a Serpent now. I don’t know how long it’ll be until she sends out  
an army to come and get you. But you insisted you wanted to stay with your new family, so whatever. Please reply to this so I know you’re at least safe. Jesus.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com](mailto:C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com)

To

[LA_09HY564@gmail.com](mailto:LA_09HY564@gmail.com)

**Subject: Date: 05/06/2016**

Are you deliberately ignoring me now? Is this it? Do you want me to stop? Here’s the update: A, V and J are fitting nicely into the  
Blossom empire. Admittedly, J is still hanging onto his S roots. He’s still refusing to get his tattoo removed, so C yanked out his tongue. (Kidding. See. I can still make jokes) No, he yanked out J’s wisdom teeth. Which was cringey to watch. I feel like I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I kind of want to- for blowing me off for six fucking months. V is more crazy than C and that says something. I think A got knocked on the head too many times. Anyway, your pets are once again safe. But like I said, if you don’t strike soon, when you eventually do you won’t recognize them. You better write back. If not, Ill stop giving you updates. How’s C? Is she still fantasizing about screwing A? Because right now, I reckon he’s as fucked up as her. It could work.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com](mailto:C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com)

To

[LA_09HY564@gmail.com](mailto:LA_09HY564@gmail.com)

**Subject: Date: 08/03/2016**

Okay, what is this? Are you even getting these emails? Is your new dad stopping you from replying to these? B, I’m sick of this. I’m  
sick of waiting. But here’s your fucking update. A and J went on their first solo assignment today and ended up KILLING and not  
KIDNAPPING their targets. C has messed them up bad. I almost miss K and C. V is just as bad. I’m starting to think she has some kind of Electra Complex thing going on with C and it’s freaking me out. He really has screwed them up. On purpose, of course. To him, they’re like works of art he can’t wait to show off. B, Please reply. I’m getting worried about you. Just anything. It can be a simple ellipse and I’ll know you’re okay. Get here soon, Jesus Christ. For their sakes.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com](mailto:C.K_RiverdaleHigh@gmail.com)

To

[LA_09HY564@gmail.com](mailto:LA_09HY564@gmail.com)

**Subject: Date: 10/15/2016**

It’s been a year. After this email, I’m going to stop writing because you’re clearly not reading them, B. Don’t bother trying to  
rescue them now. They’re gone. Have a great life.

*

~

Lili shivered. Kevin’s last email, the one he had sent yesterday, had ended so abruptly. _Have a great life_. He’d written. He wasn’t expressing it, but she could tell he was upset. It was evident in his messages becoming shorter, more snappier. Lili sighed and touched the computers track-pad, dragging the mouse and clicking it into the reply box. She took a deep breath before hurriedly typing before she could stop herself. She had to know if KJ, Cole and Camila were still…them.

As for her mom? Lili shivered. She didn’t want to think about it. Was her mother working for The Blossom’s too?

Lili typed quickly, her fingers dancing across the keyboard, Her stomach was in knots.

**REPLY: Hi Kevin, I hope you’re okay. Do you want to meet? I have free time later this afternoon, if you can. I’m sorry about being MIA. I can explain when I get there. I know it’s an ask, but can you tell me how they are?**

Lili’s hands were shaking when she clicked send. The page loaded, and she found herself staring at an advertisement at the bottom of the page showing off the new iPhone. She idly clicked on the banner curiously. If distracting herself from thinking about The Serpent kid’s being even more screwed up than they were, meant buying the new iPhone TX on Fred’s credit card, then so be it. He wouldn’t mind. He had lent it her for emergencies. This was definitely an emergency. She really needed a new phone.

And a distraction. Lili had never really stopped thinking about KJ, Camila and Cole. All the way through training, at night’s crying herself to sleep when she was sure the adults were in Hiram’s office downstairs. Kevin’s emails hadn’t helped. And her not replying to them had made her feel worse. Kevin probably thought she didn’t care, or she was dead. It took her three tries to correctly enter Fred’s card details, before she ended up closing the page down, scoffing to herself. She was kidding herself.

Lili’s head was starting to pound. She groaned and pressed her face into her covers once more, reveling in the warmth. Her hair was longer, and she wore it plaited down her back like she was some kind of bad-ass Rapunzel. That’s what she thought of herself, anyway. Lili hadn’t bothered with clothes, since she had the rest of the day off. After training she had changed into sweatpants and a long shirt she was pretty sure was Cole’s. It still smelt like him. That’s why she liked wearing it.

‘I thought I might find you sulking in here,’ A voice makes her jump, and Lili lazily turns her head, her heart jack-hammering for a second. She thought it was Camila. But no, of course not. Lili peered at her door, squinting. She winced when another roll of agony rocked her head. Cheryl Blossom was standing against her door frame with a small smile on her lips. Well, The Serpent parents had changed her name to Madeline, since she had joined them. Lili thought she’d laugh when Hiram had offered through gritted teeth, after learning the fate of his daughter and the other kids. Lili knew Cheryl was only a Serpent to get back at Clifford Blossom, but even she had to admit it. The girl fitted in perfectly. FP had taken her under his wing, and dragged her through the merciless training process. Lili sometimes caught him calling her Cole, which was both slightly hysterical, and tragic. Like her name, Madeline Jones had to change her appearance. She had to embrace her inner darkness and rid herself of the riches and elitism she had once had. Lili had thought the girl would struggle, but after Madeline had found out her father had left her to The Serpent’s. She had been more than happy to become one. Madeline had cut her long red hair to her shoulders and dyed it an ebony black. She was wearing it in a ponytail, dressed in her Serpent jacket over some casual jeans and t-shirt. She resembled Camila so much.

Lili was sure Madeline still hadn’t forgiven her for the whole…kidnap thing. Even when she had apologized repeatedly. Lili had grown close to the girl, over a year. Madeline had actually been there for her when she had broken down over the other kids. Madeline had learned through stories from FP, and Lili herself, that The Serpent’s kids weren’t as bad as she thought. Since then, she had sworn to save them from the clutches of her father. ‘_Especially the red-head.’ _She had said with a twisted smile.

Though Lili had told her repeatedly; KJ wasn’t himself anymore. He was a Blossom. Of course Madeline had ignored her.

‘Go away.’ Lili turned away from the girl and grumbled into her pillows, Madeline sighed. ‘Did FP’s hit hurt that much?’ She teased, and Lili glared into the floral material of her duvet. ‘No.’ She replied. She didn’t exactly sound convincing.

‘Uh-huh,’ Madeline joined her on the bed, bouncing playfully, and Lili’s head felt like it was being battered by bricks. ‘What are you even doing, anyway?’ Madeline murmured, leaning over Lili’s curled form. ‘What are you looking at?’ The girl looked curiously at Lili’s laptop screen, before her green eyes widened. ‘Wait, you’re emailing Casey?’ The girl hissed, and that grabbed Lili’s attention enough to sit up. ‘It’s Kevin.’ Lili corrected, grabbing the laptop before the girl could properly read the emails. Madeline pouted. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were in contact with him?’ She lowered her voice. ‘Didn’t Fred say, like, _not_ to speak to him?’

Lili shrugged. ‘I couldn’t help it,’ she murmured. She had managed to keep steely and cold on the outside, as Lili. But she was definitely still Betty inside- slowly tearing apart. Lili’s lower lip started to quiver, and Madeline sighed and brought her knees to her chest. ‘Did he mention me?’ She asked softly. Lili didn’t know much about Kevin and Cheryl’s relationship, only that he was her bodyguard when she was a Blossom. She nodded at the girl. ‘Yeah, he asked if you’re still fantasizing about screwing “A”,’ she muttered, air quoting the A. ‘I have no idea who A is.’ Lili muttered. Madeline only smirked.

Lili's laptop flashed up with a new email, and both girls abandoned the conversation and leaned forward, anticipating the message. Lili’s heart started racing. A new email had popped up, sent moments ago. The subject was empty, which was weird, but she clicked into it anyway. She thought her chest was going to burst.

Lili didn’t know what she was expecting. Though when the email loaded up, she frowned. It was only one line long. Cheryl scoffed. ‘Wait, did he send a-’ But she trailed off, as she read the message. Lili read it repeatedly, her palms sweaty as they tapped irritably at the tracking pad. The message wasn’t an update on KJ, Camila and Cole. It wasn’t even a capitalized fit at her for ignoring him for a year. The message was simple: **Outside Paper-Towns. 4:15pm. :)  
**

Madeline broke the silence, as Lili re-read the message, her stomach twisting and turning. Paper Towns was a restaurant three blocks away. Kevin wanted to meet. Her heart started to pound. _He actually wanted to meet!_

‘Did he send a smiley face?’ Madeline fiddled with her ponytail and hummed. ‘Funny. He never sent smiley’s to me.’

Lili ignored her. She jumped up, wincing at the pain in her head- but she could suppress it easily when she was on a mission, when adrenaline flooded her veins, turning the pain into strength. Madeline’s eyes followed her as she shot up off the bed and fumbled on her bedroom floor for her Serpent jacket and gun. They were there somewhere…she found her jacket underneath a pile of books she hadn’t had the concentration and patience to read. She slung it on, fiddling with her hair. Madeline frowned. She sat cross legged on the bed, still peering suspiciously at Lili’s laptop. ‘Are you seriously going to meet him?’ she asked, and Lili nodded, seeking out her boots and pulling them on. ‘I need to know if they’re okay,’ she murmured, smoothing down her shirt.

‘And if it’s a trap?’ Madeline squeaked. ‘Lili, If it’s not Kevin who meets you and somehow they intercepted the account, they’ll kill you.’ She said seriously. Lili shrugged and picked up her gun, sticking it in the waistband of her jeans. ‘I can look after myself,’ she muttered. Though she rooted around for a hat to hide her nasty black eye.

‘You’re crazy,’ Madeline muttered, before lying back on Lili’s bed with her head in her arms with a sigh. ‘If you _are_ taken back to daddy’s empire, tell him I said Hi.’ She mumbled into her arms, and Lili rolled her eyes with a smirk. ‘I’m not going to get caught, It’s just Kevin,’ she said. ‘But sure. If I happen to end up near Clifford Blossom I’ll pass on your message.’

‘Shoot him in the head after.’ Madeline said, and Lili didn’t laugh. She knew the girl was deadly serious. ‘Gotcha.’ she murmured, before grabbing her bag hanging over her door, and leaving Madeline stretched out on her bed, still frowning at Kevin’s message.

~

Paper Towns was busy for a Monday afternoon. Lili stood by the door with her head down as she inspected the the sidewalk. Every crack suddenly meant something, as her anxiety soared inside of her. She let out a heavy breath, shuddering when the late October breeze blew strands of her hair out of her eyes. She glanced up, spotting a card shop across the road, and her lips curved into a small smile. Her 17th birthday had been and gone. Well, Betty Cooper’s had. She hadn’t mentioned it, knowing it wasn’t anything important. She hadn’t really been thinking about her birthday enough to be sad she hadn’t had one. It was more about her age. She was 17 years old. She should be applying for college’s. But here she was, standing in the bitter breeze waiting to talk to an old friend who was actually one of the bad guys, who had kidnapped the three most important people in her life.

Lili grimaced and tore her gaze from the card shop. Who needs birthdays? She was part of a family, a gang, that would die for each-other. That had taught her to defend herself, and that she didn’t have to be afraid. Birthday’s were overrated anyway. She let out a sharp breath when she saw a familiar head of scruffy brown curls bouncing down the street, and she straightened up, her chest clenching. The name was already choked in her throat. _Cole!_ But when the boy turned around to talk to his friend, her heart sank. It was a stranger. But it was funny. He had his golden skin, his dark hair, even that limp curl always hanging over his right eye.

But it wasn’t Cole. Of course it wasn’t. Lili suddenly felt really lonely. She squeezed her arms around herself for warmth and kept her head down as the afternoon rush-hour went by. Her head was still pounding. Lili swallowed a groan and pulled the woolly hat further over her bad eye. If someone happened to catch her eye, she was sure they’d automatically think: Domestic abuse.

Lili checked her burner phone for the time. **16:10**. It read in huge blocky numbers on the phone screen. Fred insisted she got herself a proper phone, and she knew she needed one. After all, she was seventeen years old and had no sense of privacy. Her room was full of books and a Mac-book with shared files and pictures. Camila Lodge had crushed her old one, the one Betty Cooper had treasured. A little bit of Lili wanted the phone back. It had all her favorite apps, including Audible, where she could happily tune out and listen to a good book. Lili sighed, lifting her head up. She was sure the absence of the others was taking its toll on her mental state. She was a good fighter, and could take someone down, but day by day she found it harder to push back Betty Cooper. Her old self. Her old self who was worried- no, _terrified_ for her friends. For her brother’s and sister.

Lili was in her own mind, daydreaming, when she really should have been keeping a look-out. She wasn’t expecting someone to grab her arm and start yanking her down the street. She tried to fight back at first, but when he let out a hiss of frustration, she let go and let him drag her down the bustling street. ‘Kevin?’ she couldn’t help whimpering, her breath caught in her throat as they moved faster down the side-walk, past thrift store’s and a bookshop. Kevin didn’t reply for a few moments. He risked a look behind them, before letting out a sigh of relief. ‘Just keep walking,’ he muttered. ‘And keep your fucking head down!’

Kevin wore a navy hoodie and jeans, his hood up, head down. He was breathing heavily, and she could feel him trembling. ‘Where are we going?’ She hissed, as he continued to drag her roughly, until she got her answer. Kevin stopped at what looked like a student bar where kids were coming in and out, holding laptops and large cups of coffee. COMMON GROUNDS the sign read. Kevin wandered inside, and she had no choice but to follow him. He grabbed a table at the very back and slumped down on one of the leather seats, and she uncertainly sat down opposite him. Kevin sat for a few seconds out of breath, before he pulled his hood down, and Lili held in a gasp. He sported his very own black eye. Except it looked fresh. His right eye was almost bruised to the point of struggling to open. ‘First things first,’ he said. ‘You never answer your emails.’ A waitress came over and he grumbled his order of two mocha’s, before leaning over the table and fixing her with a scowl. She guessed this was Casey, then. Not Kevin.

Lili nodded slowly to his first statement. ‘I’m sorry,’ she admitted. ‘I wasn’t aloud. It was too-’ Though he was interrupting her, leaning further across the table. He looked worse for wear. Casey’s hair was bedraggled, his lip smudged scarlet. ‘Secondly,’ he growled. ‘Since when, Betty Cooper, did I sign off my emails with a smiley face?!’

Lili frowned at the boy, before she understood. The reason why he was in such a state, and why his mood was sour. ‘It was a trap?’ She managed to choke out, and he let out a harsh laugh. ‘Well, yeah! What did you _think_ they wanted to do?’

_The smiley face. _Madeline had mentioned it, but she had been ignorant.

Lili stiffened. ‘They?’ she whispered. The waitress arrived with their drinks, and she took hers thankfully, gulping it down and burning her tongue. It barely stung. Casey sipped his own drink before setting it down. ‘I managed to cut them off three blocks away, Betty,’ he eyed her, his expression creasing with worry. He twisted his head, glancing at the door before turning back to her. ‘I think I got rid of them,’ he muttered, before ducking his head and groaning. ‘They must have gotten hold of my laptop.’

Lili stared at the boy. She felt sick. Casey hadn’t even sent the email with the meeting place. They had. She had nearly walked directly into a trap. Madeline was right.

‘Who’s _they_?’ she managed, and before she could stop herself she was reaching over and tenderly brushing her fingers over Casey’s black eye. He winced and glanced at her irritably. ‘Kev, who did this?’ Lili murmured.

The boy scoffed. ‘Archie.’ He grumbled, his lip curling. Lili frowned. ‘Who?’

Casey was about to reply, when the doors to Common Grounds flew open, startling the meandering customers. Casey jumped up, swearing loudly. Lili stayed sat down and turned her head to the door where students were screaming and flailing, trying to get out. And then her gaze found him. Her throat dried up, and she suddenly had his name on his lips, but she couldn’t say it- because it wasn’t him. There was a red-headed boy in the doorway, holding a gun at his side. He wasn’t using it. Lili stared at the boy, her body had frozen. Casey was yanking at her relentlessly to follow him, but she only watched, transfixed, as if in a trance.

KJ. Her mind screamed. It was _KJ_. Fred Andrews’ son, and one of The Serpent Children. Except he looked barely recognizable. The scruffy look that had made him…_ him _was gone. His ginger hair was combed and styled perfectly. He wore a white shirt, a loose tie and black skinny jeans. KJ had clearly been in a fight, a scuffle. But his hair looked barely touched. His lip was split, but he only ran his tongue over it as he grinned menacingly at- nothing. He wasn’t looking at _anything_, only seeming to scan the restaurant. But it was the look in his eyes that really, genuinely _terrified_ her. There was nothing. Even when he was a Serpent, there had been _something. _Even if it was hate- or resentment. But looking into the boy’s crazy eyes, they were completely devoid. Lili's lungs felt like they were on fire. _What had Clifford done to him?_

Casey grabbed her and yanked her to her feet. His voice sounded far-away, but Lili could definitely hear him. But her gaze lingered on the door. If KJ was here, then surely-

‘_That’s _Archie!’ Casey hissed. His gaze flickered over to the boy, who was starting to make his way over, crashing through tables mindlessly, as if uncaring. He only had one goal, and he was looking right at her. Lili cringed at the sound of breaking glass, followed by more footsteps, and she risked a look, and she tasted bile. Cole and Camila. Just like KJ, they had been given a million dollar makeover. All three of them were noticeably older. Cole’s curls had been straightened and he wore a shirt and tie like the red-head. Camila wore a simple white blouse and black skirt. Her hair was perfect and sleek, cascading down her back.

They looked like completely different kids… With matching dead-eyed expressions. Casey continued to drag her backwards, and reached for his gun. But Lili couldn’t take her eyes off of The Serpent kids- and now The Blossom kids? Camila was barefoot and bleeding from presumably diving through the window. But she didn’t even look fazed. The three of them advanced towards her.

Casey dragged Lili under a table. ‘What’s going on?!’ She hissed, fumbling in her bag for her own gun. She held it at her side, her shaky fingers on the trigger. ‘Why do they look like The cast of Gossip Girl on crack?!’

'The boy growled in frustration. What did I say about not trying to rescue them you idiot,’ He hissed, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled. 'Lili, I told you, They're gone!'

Lili opened her mouth to argue, but another loud bang rocketed her numb limbs into submission. Casey groaned and turned to her. 'How fast can you run?


	8. Shattered

  
Lili pressed her back against the table and gritted her teeth. Despite everything she had been taught, her hands still trembled. She held her breath and moulded her fingers around the sleek metal of the gun, Fred’s words echoing in her mind_; _Protect_ yourself from the threat, Lili._

Yeah, no shit. She thought bitterly. Her adoptive father's voice was just an unhelpful Yoda.

Except the ‘greater threat’ were her former brother’s and sisters; the Serpent children turned psycho. Could she really pull the trigger? Lili kept her knees to her chest, her back firmly pressed against the back of the table. “It can’t be them!” She hissed, turning to Casey, who was crouched next to her. He was breathing heavily, his gun held expertly. His dark hair was a sweaty mess plastered to his forehead, Casey’s green eyes were wild. "Are you kidding?” The boy rolled his eyes. “Betty, Clifford trained them for a whole damn year. Do you know what he does to kids? He takes away their spirit, their fight, and then their humanity.”

Lili felt her heart clench in her chest. “Is that what happened to you?” She said softly. She couldn’t help it. It was like word vomit. And at quite literally the worst time ever.

Casey didn’t answer, but his eyes flickered with hurt. Well, at least she knew Blossom's had empathy. Though Casey was a Blossom no matter how much she loved him. The boy had been trained and conditioned to kill a threat in seconds. Casey finally shook his head, a chuckle tumbling from his lips. “Unbelievable,” he eyed her, his gaze cold, lips twisting into a Blossom esque scowl. It hurt her that Kevin Keller of all people had been pulled into this mess. Even worse; he was one of the bad guys.

“Betty,” He murmured. The way he said her old name sent pangs in her chest.

”Do you really think I’m a Blossom by choice?” Casey hissed.

Lili’s mind thrummed with confusion. When she didn't answer, or rather couldn’t answer, he tipped his head back and groaned. “It doesn’t matter.” He quickly twisted around to assess the situation, but if he moved an inch, exposed himself in any way, they’d shoot him dead. Casey growled. “Fuck, I can’t get a visual. Are they still there?”

Lili scoffed, keeping still. Her legs were starting to cramp. “You play too many video games, Kev.”

“It’s Casey.” He muttered, shooting her the side-eye.

Ignoring the boy, Lili risked a peek and leaned forward, wincing when shards of glass sliced through her jeans. KJ was still stood by the door with Cole and Camila either side of him; dark eyes and twisted lips. Lili couldn’t help her gaze going to Cole.

Everything that he had been was wiped clean. The warm smile that she had grown to love, eyes that crinkled with worry whenever they went on assignment and she started to panic. All of it, all of him, all of Cole Jones had been scraped away, leaving an empty shell that was being puppeteered by a psychopath.

Lili shivered. They reminded her of soldiers ready to attack. She half wondered if the three of them had a headset that was screaming orders into. Either that or some kind of spooky sci-fi micro-chip inserted into their neck. No, she couldn't think like that.

“They’re still there,” Lili managed to choke out. Her chest tightened. Sooner or later she would have to face him. Cole. The boy she was pretty sure she was falling in love with before he had gotten fucking kidnapped. Lili still remembered the last time they had been together, back when she was in the latter stages of her Serpent training, and her stubborn grip on life before, when she was normal, was slipping. She even accepted the name. It suddenly felt...right. Lili Andrews. The Serpent. She had already caught a glimpse of Cole's...transformation. And it hurt. Like everything he had been, everything he had shown her he was, had been obliterated. Lili half wondered if the memories of the two of them, the memories she had held close to her for a full year. When Fred told her to top thinking about them, to let go. But she hadn't let go. She hadn't stopped sleeping in his sweater which smelt like him. She hadn't stopped going in his room, picking up his sketch pad- always the same damn sketchpad. The one she looked at every day. Where she would just sit there and stare at the last drawing in progress. Not even finished.

It had been a beach landscape. Cole had sketched out the gritty sand, towering stormy waves and a blistering sun. Looking at the sketch hurt her. Because so long ago, when she had still been Betty Cooper- when she had still been resisting, screaming, chained to KJ's bed. He sat in front of her, cross-legged, while she screeched abuse at him; words she wouldn't dream of saying now. But she had been so scared...so fucking scared of him, and the others. Even when he retrieved his sketch pad and tried to show her his drawings. She had shoved them away, crying and trying to batter her free fist into his chest.

And now look where they were. As Betty Cooper she had hated him, and Lili Andrews she had loved him, and right now? When she wasn't even sure who she was anymore, when she both the terrified and fragile Betty Cooper, as well as fearless and Steely Lili Andrews. She wasn't sure how she felt for the boy who was no longer himself. He wasn't the boy who she had grown to love. And that, in retrospect, killed her inside. It made her stomach hurt, her chest tightens, her heart pounds. Lili was terrified of making eye contact with him.

Casey cleared his throat, snapping her out of it. "We've got to get out of here."

“Okay, we’re gonna make a run for it,” He panted. “We go out the fire exit at the back, down the alleyway by the Chinese and then-” He groaned. "Fuck, I don't know! Cliff's spies are everywhere!" He growled to himself, tugging at his hair. Lili frowned him. She wanted to reassure him, to comfort him. But he wasn't Kevin Keller. Turned out she barely even knew him. All this time he had been working with the bad guys, and yet when she looked at him now, there was no difference. Maybe Lili expected an evil gleam in his eye, a trademark Blossom smirk that officially made her best friend evil. But no. He just looked terrified out of his damn mind. Casey stared back at her, his eyes wide. It was funny. Here she was reminiscing their friendship, torn between calling him a friend or an enemy, and he was doing what he always did. Looking out for her. Worried about her.

He groaned.

"Okay, scrap that idea, there's probably more Blossom's waiting outside." Casey bowed his head. "Oh shit, oh crap fucking fuck, they're going to rip us apart."

The boy was speaking so fast, so convoluted, Lili could barely understand him. His words didn't make sense. How could The Serpent Kids- or newly made Blossom kids- rip them apart? Lili sent Casey a questioning look, her eyes wide and disbelieving. Besides, it was Cole, KJ and Camila. She forced a smile, which was most definitely fake. What could possibly happen in a year? Clifford Blossom was a mob boss, he wasn't a mad scientist.

"I meant what I said," Casey muttered. "Did you not read my emails? Cliff's fucked around with their heads so bad they think their own parents are the bad guys," Casey waited for her to reply, but she couldn't. Her throat was dry. "First, they rebelled," he murmured. "I mean, who wouldn't, right? They're Serpents for fuck sake. But then..." he trailed off. "I dunno man, I'd rather not explain it in detail. Clifford is in full control."

Lili felt a shiver crawl up her spine. "So, what? They're his puppets?"

"Basically."

Casey sighed, arching his body so he could keep an eye out on the three apparent homicidal maniacs. Who happened to be the family she thought would last forever.

"He has the most dangerous kids in the criminal underworld in his possession," The Blossom boy breathed. "And he just handed them a fucking nuke."

Lili's heart pounded in her chest, threatening to burst. This couldn't be happening. they couldn't really be- gone. Could they? She wanted to cry. Tears stung her eyes threatening to dribble down her cheeks. Lili bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. She had to be strong. Had to survive. It was her primary instinct. Fred's words rung in her head; Don't freak out. Assess your situation and look for an escape route.

KJ, Camila and Cole were currently blocking the front doors that had been smashed through. "Where are the cops?!" she hissed, flattening herself onto her stomach. Casey actually laughed.

”You’re kidding right? You mean my dad? Who’s also under Blossom control?” 

Lili winced when she felt shards of glass prick her chest, her arms, dig into her stomach. She had to bite back a scream. There was Fred Andrews again, his voice deep inside her skull;

_"Never surrender to pain, Lili."_ he had murmured. Back in training, when they tied her to a chair with razor wire, and she had to fight her way out. Lili remembered screaming in pain at first, crying in agony- that she couldn't do it. Her wrists had been torn to shred, she could feel the blood dripping down her bare arms. But the more she fought, her teeth gritted- the more she was able to stabilise the pain. She could control it; or at least to an extent. Lili used the same tactic now, clenching her jaw and mentally blocking out the pain. She didn't think about the blossoming red patch bleeding through her sweater. She thought about Cole. About his smile, his eyes. His...his voice. Back when she had been in that damn chair in her Serpent training. He wasn't allowed to speak to her, like the others. But that didn't stop him. When she cried out, he told her he wasn't going anywhere, that he was here- and she could do it. She could fight it!

The memory was painful- but it helped. Lili swallowed the scream building in her throat and remembered how close he had been to her, even when Hiram tried to drag him back. His cold breath tickling her face. She had been blindfolded, but she could sense his warm smile, his bright eyes. _"You can do it, Lil."_ he murmured. _"Just hold on a little more, okay?"_ At that moment in time, she had been sure he had leaned forward. Lili had heard the breath catch in his throat and felt his presence so close- so damn close...

_"Alright, that's enough of that."_ FP's voice filtering through their little bubble, and the sound of a momentary scuffle before Cole let out a frustrated breath. "Fine, I won't go near her," he mumbled. Lili remembered actually smiling at his tone. Actually smiling when her wrists were bleeding, pricked and scratched like she had just stuck her hand in a thorn bush. Something about Cole's tone made her heart start to thud in her chest.

KJ's voice. She could hear his smile. If that was even possible. _"Why did you stop there?"_ He laughed._ "Wait, isn't that _technically_ incest?"_

_"They're not related, you Sponge!"_ Camila, finally breaking her pledge of silence, with a giggle.

_"Freddie, please tell me again why we adopted these children,"_ Hiram muttered, followed by Camila's titter. _"Because you love us, daddy."_

_"Debateable."_ Hiram grumbled. Though Lili could tell the man was smiling. She had learnt a lot about reading facial expressions without her perception, using her ears instead. Now, she found herself smiling again, as the memory washed over her, like lukewarm water.

"Hey, Earth to Betty?" Lili blinked, finding Casey's wide eyes inches from her own. "What are you smiling at?" he hissed. "Are we getting out of here, or are you happy bleeding out on the fucking floor?" Lili had almost forgotten about the fragmented glass piercing her abdomen. The pain was back, in nauseating waves, slamming into her. She rose to her hands and knees slowly, grabbing her gun. "I'm- I'm okay," she whispered. "I think."

The two had known each other since they were kids, and now, even when they were on opposing sides, he knew she was lying. And doing a damn good job of it. But Casey just gritted his teeth and nodded, his converse crunching in the glass as he got ready to make a run for it. Lili copied his stance, keeping her head low.

"Follow my lead," Casey murmured, slowly moving forward, keeping his gun held in front of him. He scoffed in disgust, raising his head to look at the others. "Are they on Stand By or something?" he hissed. "Why are they just standing there?"

Lili didn't answer. Mostly because she couldn't. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and she was terrified that in this moment of weakness, the only sound that came out of her mouth would be a screech of agony. That would be the perfect trigger to set off the timebomb.

"Shit," Casey started to shuffle backwards, and Lili was frozen for a second, as the voice grazed her ears. So familiar, yet so...not.

"Hey!" The voice startled her, and Lili couldn't help slipping out of hiding, keeping her back against the cold steel Her knees slid along the floor, crunching in shards of glass. But she barely felt the sting. Her mind was screaming at her to duck, grab Casey and run. But KJ's voice sent her brain into overdrive. She hadn't heard him in so long. It was almost hypnotising, drawing her from temporary safety. Ignoring Casey's hiss of, "No!" she jumped up, raising her gun, albeit shakily, at the boy's grinning face. Cole and Camila were like shadows either side of him, neither of them moving.

"Lili, what the fuck are you doing?!" Lili winced at Casey's tone, a low grumble in his throat. His Blossom was shining through after all.

Lili ignored Casey, keeping her gaze trained on the redhead. KJ's expression lit up when he caught her eye. Well, at least his eyes weren't completely void of humanity anymore. But Lili still trembled, breaking every single damn rule in The Serpent Handbook. KJ Andrews was the visual representation of Casey's earlier words; "Clifford Blossom takes your spirit, and then your humanity." she frowned at him, searching for the suppressed pain. For the warm smile, the bright eyes and dopy look he sometimes gave her when he didn't understand something. But the boy looked smug, an arrogant grin stretched across his lips. KJ was squeaky clean; dressed in a crisp white shirt, different from his usual Serpent jacket. His hair was radiant red, falling in bright, unblinking mocha coloured eyes. Lili winced at the colour of his hair as if Clifford had dyed it to prove a point. KJ Andrews was fucking terrifying. The urge to stumble back was overwhelming.

"There you are," KJ murmured. His voice didn't sound right. Like somebody was doing a shitty job at impersonating him. He spoke like a robot. The warmth of his tone was gone.

Cole chuckled next to him. Lili refused to look at him. But there he was, at the corner of her eye. Staring her right in the face. His eyes were empty, staring right through her. Even when she had met him, right when this all began, Cole's expression may have been terrifying. When he was the crazed Serpent son of FP Jones with manic eyes, a bright smile. But now? He was a shell. Just a mannequin with his face smirking at her.

"There she is," Cole said softly. He folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head. "Come out, Casey." He said, with a chuckle. "You're not doing a good job at hiding."

Lili stiffened. They were fucked. She knew that the moment Casey rose to his feet, grumbling to himself. But Lili could barely register what was happening. Instead, she was being stabbed repeatedly in the chest. Once, twice, three times. Stab, stab, stab. And it hurt. Cole's voice...it was so smooth, so sleek and conceited. It made her want to scream. Lili bit the side of her cheek, against a cry. She wanted to spring forward and grab his shoulders, shaking him violently.

"Drop your weapon and put your hands up." Cole's lip twitched, his eyes on Casey. Lili hated the way he looked at the boy. Like Casey was a slab of meat.

"Does dad know you're here, Case?"

Dad. Lili flinched at Cole's words. Casey complied, to her surprise. He rose his hands, dropping his gun, which clattered to the ground. "Fuck off, Jughead," he muttered, a small smile appearing on his lips. It was teasing. Taunting. Lili let her gaze flick to Cole for a moment as she tried to process the name. Jughead? Was that his name now?

"Wait," she couldn't help it. Maybe it was the pain, still slicing through her gut. She could feel the blood seeping through her shirt, sticking to her skin. Lili frowned at Cole or Jughead, and he blinked back at her. No recognition. And it fucking hurt as much as the growing wound in her gut. "Jughead?" she whispered and was then unable to hold back a laugh; "What, so they renamed you?" she glanced at KJ and Camila, who actually looked like they had been caught off guard. Maybe talking like human beings hadn't been put into their initial programming. The two of them frowned at her, vacant. There was nobody home. Lili was sure if she clapped her hands in front of their impassive faces, they wouldn't move. And that thought, for some reason, was fucking hilarious.

"They renamed all of you?" She spluttered, groaning when pain spliced through her gut. She bent over, clutching her stomach. Lili's legs buckled, but she wouldn't fall. She refused to. There was no way she was falling to her knees in front of them.

"Lili." Casey's tone was a warning. But suddenly she was breaking all the rules in the book, crashing through them. Her eyes were burning and it felt good. It felt good to cry, to finally let her emotion out. She was shaking, she was choking on her words, and she was very clearly showing weakness.

"You're hurt," Cole muttered. His empty eyes seemed to flicker to life for a moment, and Lili felt something press down on her chest. But he only shook his head with a sigh. "She'll be easy," he murmured. "Just let The Serpent Girl bleed out." His attention turned to Casey, who was glaring at the three of them. "We're here for the traitor."

KJ nodded, his lips curled into an unsettling grin when she shivered, and Lili half wondered if he could sense that. Had Clifford Blossom fitted him with fucking superhuman hearing too? But he wasn't looking at Casey. He was staring directly at her, his brown eyes narrowed. Lili wanted to look away. But that required mental strength she didn't have. She was too busy trying to keep her insides inside of her with scarlet hands.

"Lili Andrews," KJ said teasingly, completely ignoring her spluttered question. A stray thought hung in her mind; If Cole was Jughead...who was KJ? Lili felt dizzy. But- but hadn't Casey mentioned someone else? Before they came crashing in? What was his name? It was on the tip of her tongue. Black spots started to invade her vision, her perception twisting. She was losing blood and needed to get out. But could she just leave them?

Casey growled at Cole. "Alright sure, take me. Whatever," he said. "Just leave Betty alone, okay?" Lili felt like laughing. She swayed on the spot, and KJ, Camila and Cole were suddenly a lot less scary. In fact, they reminded her of television characters. The school uniforms weren't helping. Couldn't Casey make his mind up what to call her?

KJ nodded. "Sure, Case." He chuckled, his brown eyes flicking to her. "How are you doing, little Serpent?" Lili winced. She almost like when they had first met, and he had stood at her front door with that exact smile, that fucking smirk on his lips. But back then, his eyes had a playful tinge to them which now was overshadowed with a murderous gleam.

Lili didn't want to answer him. She was pretty damn sure any answer would be the wrong one because she knew for a damn fact that she wasn't a Serpent after all. She was still Betty Fucking Cooper. Because she couldn't hide her emotions, she couldn't mask her feelings. So Lili did an incredibly stupid thing as a Serpent child. But to her, to Betty Cooper? It felt right. "KJ?" she mumbled.

"Can we get this over with?!" Casey yelled. "She's dying!" Lili swore Casey's tone hitched. "You said it yourself, you idiots, she'll bleed out anyway." She was too scared to turn to her friend, afraid of the expression on his face. Would it be stony and merciless?

KJ shrugged. "What have you got to say to me, Serpent?" KJ said the word 'Serpent' like he was spitting poison off of his tongue. His eyebrow quirked with genuine curiosity. Lili found herself nodding, dazedly. She felt herself tip backwards and was ready to greet the floor and darkness, but a strong pair of arms kept her upright.

Casey. It would always be him. No matter how far they strayed from each other, he would be there. Her thoughts danced erratically in her mind. What was KJ talking about? He was a Serpent! At least....her chest tightened. Such a familiar feeling.

He used to be.

"What's your name?" Lili managed. She had to know. Even if she was teetering on consciousness, her mind was fighting darkness for the answer.

KJ didn't lose his smile. He used to talk about names. Names that he wanted to keep, and ones he wanted to forget. In his words; 'I want to bury it inside my mind," His voice had been so different. Not its usual bright or teasing tone. It was painful. Haunted. Lili had never thought about his words, until now, when KJ's shell was staring into her soul.

"Archie," he answered eventually. His gaze burned into hers, his smile widening. "Archie Blossom."

Lili felt sick. Archie. The name echoed in her mind. Blossom. She was suddenly bursting with questions and glanced at Casey, who was slowly lowering himself to the ground, and it took her half a second to realize what he was doing. Her mind spun. He was trying to get his gun. The boy twisted around for a moment, his stomach scathing the floor as he bent as far as he could, reaching forwards, his fingers prying for the sleek metal. His eyes were wild, his lips twisted into a grimace. "Distract them!" His expression screamed. Broken glass crunched under his weight as he crawled on his hands and his knees. Lili turned her attention back to KJ, Cole and Camila, still staring at her.

"Why do you ask?" Cole murmured. He was no longer smiling.

"What?" Lili had a hard time not crying out her answer. She pressed pressure to her stomach, biting hard into her bottom lip to suppress the inevitable cry crawling up her throat. Cole rolled his eyes, a mannerism that he had somehow managed to keep.

"I said," Cole murmured, his tone silky smooth. "Why are you interested in our names?"

Lili had to stall. A quick glance in Casey's direction showed her he nearly had it. But she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay conscious for, biting the brunt of the pain ripping into her. Lili forced out her next words, and they may have been a stalling tactic, but they were real and genuine, coming from her rapidly splintering heart;

"Your name..." she said, tasting rusty pennies on her tongue. Blood. "Your name isn't...it's not Jughead," to her embarrassment, tears started rolling down her cheeks.

The boy frowned. "Oh really?" Lili couldn't understand how neither of them had noticed Casey going for his gun. "What's my name then, Little Serpent?" Cole teased. Casey said they had been tortured. But she couldn't see traces of pain or trauma in his eyes. Because Clifford had removed that too, picking apart Cole's mind like it was a toy.

"Cole." she choked. "Your- your name, it's..it's-"

Lili blinked back tears, and through fraying eyelashes, Cole was frowning at her, and for just the fraction of a second, he looked- worried. Frightened. Lili wanted to cry out for him, for them. She wanted to throw herself at him, wrap her arms around his neck and let him press his lips to hers, a real proper kiss. One that had been stolen from them back in Serpent training. Lili blinked rapidly, expecting Cole's expression to snap back to blank. Empty. A shell. Except it didn't. His lips quirked into that same damn smile she remembered, his eyes flickering to life. "Lili?" he murmured, his eyes widening.

Part of her knew it wasn't real. It was fantasy. It was what she wanted to happen. She was spinning out a fairytale without even knowing it. His voice was too echoey, too distant. Because it was a memory. The voice was from a suppressed memory from way back.

Lili wanted to nod. She wanted to say yes, yes, it was her! But she couldn't speak anymore. Her vision swam and Cole's expression, the one she was imagining, was splintering into a million pieces. Then she was seeing the real him. Cole Blossom, smiling ruefully at her as he watched her legs buckle, her body start to drop.

"Damn," Cole nudged KJ. Or perhaps it was Jughead nudging Archie. Their movements were strange in Lili's rapidly deteriorating state. "Do you think I should step on the snake?" he giggled. "Put her out of her misery?"

The boys were laughing, she realized. At her, as she lay on the ground, waiting for death to envelope her. Lili could only stare as they loomed over her, three figures who had gone from her worst nightmare to her family, and back to her worst nightmares. The three of them suddenly staggered back, clearly distracted from...stepping on her. Lili was only half conscious of another figure, waving something at them. And their voice sent relief flooding through her veins. A blur of red hair, and the voice of her sister.

"Archie Andrews, you've let yourself go," Cheryl Blossom, or Madelaine Andrews, spat. "All three of you. Get away from her," she ordered.

KJ, Cole and Camila obliged, holding their hands up in surrender. But they were still smiling, grinning wildly, at the half-dead snake on the ground.

"Jesus fuck," Cheryl gaped at who had been The Serpent's Children. She kept her gun trained on the three of them, her grasp steady. "What did my father do to you?" she demanded, her voice shaking when her gaze landed on Archie. Oh, Archie. The little-redheaded boy she had sworn vengeance on when she was a little kid since her father had brought her up to hate them. Cheryl had been on an emotional rollercoaster with the boy. She hated him, she hated him she hated him, she...she liked him?

And now? Cheryl wasn't sure. When she became Madelaine, she suppressed Cheryl, everything the girl had been. It was funny...when she caught Archie's eye, she expected the boy's eyes to light up, a glimmer of recognition. That twist of a smile on his lips that she thought about sometimes. It occupied her mind more than it should have. Those chocolate playful eyes, scruffy red hair...soft lips she imagined tasting one day. Though all of that was gone. Cheryl felt her eyes sting when the boy simply stared right through her.

And damn, did it hurt. Cheryl swiped angrily at her eyes.

Camila cocked her head. "You mean our dad, right?" Her answer was slow, far too slow. Cheryl had asked them that question a whole minute ago.

Cheryl pulled a face, wrinkling her nose. For a second, she faltered for a second and really looked at them, at their blank, vacant smiles. Archie. Hate burned inside her, raging her insides. Her father had emptied them out, completely wiped them clean. And he was manipulating what was left of them. "Oh daddy," she whispered. "What did you do?"

"I've got you," the voice felt far-away, but Lili knew who it was. "Hold on, okay?"

Casey. He was wrapping his arms around her crumpled form, gently lifting her and throwing her over his shoulders, and then they were galloping forward in fast jarring movements that turned her stomach.

"Cheryl!" Casey turned, hissing at the girl to follow. Lili felt herself bouncing on the boy's shoulder. Cheryl was following, her heels clacking loudly. "I've brought a sedation gun," she gasped for breath. "Kevin, we can take them back to-"

"No!" Casey yelled back. "Not yet. Right now, they're your father's best soldiers."

Breeze. Cold air washing over her skin, blowing her hair, pushing against her punctured stomach. Lili reveled in the feeling of the cold air, in the sound of Casey's converse thumping against the asphalt. Her head was spinning. Cheryl was behind her, she could hear the girl's panting. "Keller, are you crazy?" The girl yelled. "I saw-" her voice broke a little. "Case, I saw Archie's face! He- he didn't recognize me!"

"That's the point," Casey growled back. They came to an abrupt stop then, and Casey let out a shuddery breath. "I need you to take her from here."

"What?" Cheryl's confusion mirrored her own. "Why?

"Cheryl, I have to go back," he said. "They have my dad." Lili felt his grip on her loosen, as he pushed her into the awaiting girl's arms. Cheryl held her tightly, bridal style. "Casey Keller, you're crazy," Cheryl muttered. "They'll kill you."

"Take care of her," Kevin murmured. Or Casey. She wasn’t sure anymore. Lili felt warm lips brushing her cheek. She wanted to stop him, grab him. But she was so weak. "Alright? I'll try and get them back." He started to back away into the shadows. "It can't be that hard, right?"


	9. Where Is My Mind?

Archie Blossom. He had been first. In the initial stages Jughead had tried to block out his screams, his cries for mercy. Jughead wasn't sure what the procedure was. Even Casey had remained light lipped, preferring not to let slip what horrors awaited them. Casey Keller had become an ally. Jughead hated him. Oh yeah, he despised the boy for his place in the Blossom empire; Clifford's right hand man. But he was also their one and only link back to Lili and their parents. Every day the boy sneaked into the cells they were held in. But he never had a reply. The emails hit a brick wall, never getting an answer.

Casey's visits came more frequent, but he maintained that same steely gaze, not giving into his emotions. "She's not replying." was all he said. As far as Jughead was concerned, Lili didn't care. Neither did his own father, or Fred and Hiram.

The Serpent's had stopped caring. They had probably killed Cheryl, and had just let Clifford keep them. Torture them. Hurt them.

Maybe that was what had pushed Archie over the edge. Jughead had watched day after day, noticing differences in the boy. He stopped resisting. He stopped attacking the Blossom guards, and spitting like a snake at Clifford himself. Slowly, KJ- no, Archie Andrews, began to lose himself. It was only fitting that Clifford would use the boy's slipping sanity as the perfect time to turn the redhead into a cold blooded, inhumane killer.

First, Archie had screamed. The boy had screamed so loud Casey had come to keep him company. Because as hard as he tried not to, Jughead broke too. He cried. He screamed for his brother who was hurting, who was being put through unimaginable pain. He was terrified of it happening to him; having his mind picked to pieces, and the fragments being pieced back into a weapon that Clifford could use against their parents.

He was going to be used against FP. Jughead couldn't even imagine it; a Blossom version of him, a grinning psychopath with his smile as he shot his father in the head.

It was those kind of thoughts that made him cry.

When Casey visited, the boy was trying to keep it together too. As hard as Keller tried to hide behind his Blossom facade, those cold and calculating eyes. Jughead knew it was all for show, and the boy was as human as him, as scared and terrified as him. The night KJ- Archie was taken from him and Camila- Veronica- had cried herself to sleep, like those nights on the streets. Casey had been there, sneaking in and falling to his knees in front of Jughead's cell, his fingers squeezed around the steel bars. It had been the first time Casey had showed any kind of emotion, and finally given in, and broke. Right in front of Jughead, when he too had been breaking apart. Jughead had been knelt against the wall with his arms still pinned behind his back. He'd lost the feeling of his limbs a while ago. It barely bothered him. Jughead had been mess, tears staining his cheeks, his hair stuck to his perspired forehead. Cole, Cole, Cole- I'm Cole. I- I'm Cole.. I'm Cole-

He'd been muttering to himself, trying to distract himself from Archie's agonized cries. For a moment, it had only been him and his mumbling, his soft sobbing- before a voice had penetrated the silence as his head had snapped up, the boy's gaze searching the darkness, before landing on equally terrified eyes staring back at him. Casey. Or Kevin. The boy who had kidnapped them, brought him into this mess. Jughead let out a harsh laugh despite himself. "Thought you had no emotions, Keller." spitting blood, he winced.

Jughead expected Casey to ignore him. But the boy only spluttered. "I didn't think I had any, Jones." he murmured, sniffing. The boy was crying, and Jughead wasn't sure what to do. Sure, some of him wanted to laugh, and tell the boy to leave him alone. Because that's all he wanted. Jughead just wanted to be left alone. But Casey provided the comfort that he needed right then. Just being there, showing that he wasn't quite as evil as Jughead had initially thought; it was a distraction from his own pain, as well as KJ's.

"I'm sorry, Cole.” Casey said after a moment. The boy's voice, his words, made his eyes sting, stupid tears dribbling down his cheeks.

"Sorry for what?" he managed to choke. "Kidnapping us?" he squinted in the darkness. Casey was on his knees, leaning against the bars of his cell. "Something like that."

Jughead couldn't help it. He laughed, even when his chest hurt, when blood trickled from his lips. "You're a bit late," he muttered. "I'm next."

"I know." Casey drew in a shuddery breath. "I'd free you if I could, Cole. I swear I would. But-" the boy sniffed. "Fuck, they- they'll kill my dad. I can't-"

"It's Jughead." He mumbled. Then chuckled. "Do I look or sound like Cole to you right now?"

There was a pause. "KJ's strong, you know. He might fight it. You never know."

"Archie." Jughead sighed. "My brother's name is Archie. It always has been. KJ was this twisted side of him, his Serpent alter ego. Just call him Archie, Casey."

Another pause. Casey grunted as he slowly lifted himself up. Jughead kept his gaze on the floor. "Well in that case, call me Kevin." the boy said softly. And Jughead found himself smiling. Maybe he really was going crazy, _befriending the enemy._

"Sup' Kevin." his eyes were stinging again. Stupid fucking tears. He hated them. The damn things only meant pain. Emotions. "Been a while, eh?"

The boy didn't reply. Jughead could hear him retreating from their cell, his footsteps slow. "Jughead, if you're...if you're you, when I next see you, I'll get you out, okay?" He could hear the boy's gritted teeth. "I promise."

Then Casey was gone, and Jughead was actually praying for the boy to come back. Once he was alone again, trapped in the darkness, he heard Archie's cries again. They pierced him like sharpened knifes sticking into his heart. He did everything he could to hide from the cries, but they reverberated, echoing in in his skull. They were inescapable.

Jughead could hear his best friend begging the bastard Blossom to kill him. But the man didn't want to slaughter the had-been serpent children. No. He wanted to do far worse. Having already tortured their true identities from them, they were his to mold into submission. Of course they had resisted at first. When Archie had been ordered to cut off his Serpent tattoo, he'd wound his fist back, slamming his knuckles into a Blossom guard's face. It had felt good at first. Being Blossom's, clinging onto their Serpent roots. They had initially held hope their parents would come and get them.

But they never did. And now both Archie and KJ were being taken from him.

Jughead struggled, tried to squirm from his bonds, all while muttering to himself, his muttering quickly becoming fully fledged hysterical crying.

"I'm Cole. No- no I'm Jughead. My- my birth name is Jughead! B - but my family-" he let out an agonised cry that could almost belittle KJ's. "My- my family." he whimpered. Then it was a mantra; "My family- my f- family. My family. Dad..dad!" his cries grew more desperate. Every time his brother let out a cry, he cried out for his father.

Then he cried for Lili. Which triggered a memory in his fragmented mind. It had been momentary relief from the physical pains in his body, the cuts and bruises littering his arms legs, his eyes black and blue.

Leaning back he allowed himself to breathe, to suck in precious oxygen, and remember when he was happy. When he was a Serpent. When everything wasn't fucking painful and scary. When Lili was part of his life.

Oh, lovely Lili. The memory was amazing; a sweet feeling erupting from inside him, chasing away the fear and pain. It brought along old names, the ones he loved to say, loved to think. His brother and sister's beautiful Serpent names; A time when he wasn't afraid to speak of them.

Think of them. Back when his mind wasn't a vicious tornado of thoughts overlapping each other, confusing him, terrifying him. Where one side of his mind was insisting on Cole Jones, and then the darkness slowly taking over, the parts Clifford had already tainted. Blossom. He was a Blossom- Jughead Blossom- Jughead Blossom-

Clifford Blossom was a childhood trauma rooted deep inside his skull. Always there. Haunting him. Except he always had his family, their protection. FP Jones had promised him on the day he officially came a Jones and a member of The Serpent family, that he would always be there. Through thick and thin, his father would always, always be there. Fighting for his son until the damn bitter end. Except not now. Because Cole wasn't really 'Cole' anymore. He'd had that taken from him like it was nothing. Along with three of his fingernails. His wisdom teeth. Yanked out like they too- were nothing.

No! He forced away the thoughts, the battering, confusing mass of hysteria in his head. He only thought of her. Betty Cooper. Lili Andrews. Her sweet smile turned twisted with power, her soft blue eyes turned icy and powerful, perfect cherry pink lips-

It wasn't that he didn't like what the girl had become. Because if he was honest, he loved her. He loved everything the girl was. Lili had gone from a rabbit caught in the headlights to strong. Powerful. He'd seen her take KJ down in a play fight, and nearly break Camila's hand in an arm wrestle. More seriously; Cole had seen Lili single-handedly catch a mobster. Chase him down, leap onto his back and spit into the back of his neck words that he never thought would spill from her lips.

She knew him as Cole. Only as Cole. And that thought, just that tiny thought clinging onto him, was enough to keep him from screaming. Slowly, he calmed down.

Clifford Blossom was Jughead Jones, and then Cole Jones' worst nightmare. All throughout his childhood, the man had represented every shiver tingling down his spine. 

So many names had been forced on him, the boy no longer felt human. He was just a slab of meat and bones, with no identity whatsoever. Except knowing how to kill. Oh, he knew how to kill. He knew how to slit a throat like it was child's play, strangle someone with a fucking iPhone charger. If anyone could be called dangerous, practically a junior assassin on steroids; He was that person. No matter how hard he tried to sugar coat it and call himself a good person, justifiable for his actions. He knew what he was.

He was a killer.

First, he was The Serpent's killer. He was a member of their tribe, their gang. He had parents who loved him, cherished him. But he was still their little Killer. Jughead had been passed around from family to family all his life. And he stayed a killer. He stayed a murderer. Killer. The word stayed stagnated in his mind. Killer. He was a Killer.

Nothing had really changed. He had just changed sides. Against his will of course. But if he really thought about it, he wasn't anyone's son. Along with KJ and Camila, or Archie and Veronica; they were just senseless murderers being passed to different people.

He had even turned little Betty Cooper, the human embodiment of a pastel edit. Sweet and defenceless Betty Cooper- into Lili Andrews.

Ah, Lili. Finally, the memory that he'd been waiting on, praying for, finally came over him. It was warm, like the girl's hugs. When she jumped into his arms after a successful assignment. There was one specific moment he clung onto.

There Lili Andrews had been, straddling Ol' Jimmy Butcher, kneeling in shitty drain water. Her strawberry blonde hair had been a mess, tied into scruffy plaits that he had thought were fucking adorable. Lili had been wearing one of his long shirts and tights. And nothing else. She had a habit of stealing his shirts and refusing to wear shoes. The girl, who upon meeting; had been wearing all pink, all fluff, all cutsie girly colours, now looked like a real, proper Serpent. All she needed now was her jacket. Since she kept 'borrowing' his and KJ's. Lili had been grinning at him, her eyes shining. And he had wondered at that point if he was falling for his adoptive sister. Which was kind of weird, if he thought about it. But who cared, right? His father? Ha. Never.

"Did I do it right?" Lili had hissed through her teeth. At that point, Fred hadn't quite trusted her yet with a gun. Ever since she, like Camila, had gone trigger happy on a spider. And he- Cole- no, no- Jughead. He was Jughead but to her- he was...

"Perfect," Cole had said, before unbuckling his own gun. Jimmy had whimpered under Lili's weight. When he had made his way over to them, he noticed Lili was shivering. Her teeth gritted. He couldn't wait until she got her jacket. He would be the one to throw it over her shoulders and welcome her into the snakes. Lili Andrews. The fourth Serpent kid.

"You're cold. Take this you idiot." Cole had murmured with a sly smile, pulling off his own jacket and slinging it over Lili's shoulders. The girl had turned to him and smiled softly, losing that manic look in her eyes.

"Thanks." she'd said. "Are you gonna help me get this bastard up?" When Ol' Jimmy had hissed out in pain, Lili had dug her knee into his back. "Zip it!"

Cole smirked. "That's not our lingo, Lil." he'd shot her a grin, and she'd rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah?" the girl challenged. "What do you scary snakes normally say, hm?"

Her tone was definitely flirtatious, and he kind of loved it. Part of him wanted to shoot Ol' Jimmy in the spine, pull Lili off of his body, pull her to his chest and kiss her. Kiss her until he lost his breath. He wanted all of Lili. Every damn piece of her. Cole wanted to run his hands through her hair, caress her cheeks, hold her to him-

And never, ever let go.

At the time, as well as being seriously turned on and fighting every urge to give into his hormones and kiss Lili right there. She had been teasing him all night, and it was starting to drive him insane. The curl of her lips when she thought he wasn't looking, the skirts way too short she insisted on wearing when they were duelling in the training room. And of course, that morning when they had fallen on top of each other and had been so close to finally giving into each- other, when of course KJ had popped his head in, made a crude joke, and told them to get a room. Lili had stabbed her training knife into his neck before rolling out from under him, breathless. "Distracted?" she'd smirked.

"Me? Pfft, never!" he'd jumped back up, grabbing and wrestling her back to the ground, and they had been so close. And it had felt so- right.

"Seriously, get your asses to lunch!" KJ had yelled from outside. Lili rolled her eyes and jumped up, darting out of the training room before he could catch his breath.

After shaking off his feelings, trying to hide the burn in his cheeks and a lump in his throat- Cole had focused on the man Lili had caught, and for some reason; seeing Ol' Jimmy's wrinkly old faced down on grimy concrete made him laugh. It felt good because fuck, he was a kid too. He might have had a bit of a screwed up childhood, but he had a family now. People he loved. It was Friday night, and The Serpent's idea of a good time was hunting down mobsters that had wronged them. The Serpent children had treated it like a game. The adults were away on business, there was nothing on Netflix, the training room had been locked, and there was a strict rule Hiram had put into place:

No leaving the house. Under any circumstances. They had been Camila's father's exact words, and they went without saying. The Blossom's were out for their blood, since The Jason Incident, and The Serpent's were desperate to protect their only children.

Plus Alice Cooper, Lili's mother, was part of The Blossom family. She wanted her daughter back, and from the stories about her FP had told, the woman sounded like a maniac.

But weren't rules made to be broken? The four of them had been in The Serpent household. Cole had been knelt in front of the training room door trying to unlock it with one of Camila's hairpins, when KJ had appeared, fresh-faced, pulling his Serpent jacket on.

"And where do you think you're going?" still with Camila's clip between his teeth, he'd glanced up at the redhead towering over him grinning.

"Out." was his only reply. Before KJ could make a quick getaway, Cole was on his feet, slamming the boy against the wall. The redhead only rolled his eyes, laughing. "Ow."

"You heard Hiram," Cole smirked. "He told us to stay inside, tonight." he let go of the redhead, and KJ was quick to grab him in a stranglehold, shoving him against the opposite wall. Cole barely winced. "Is this payback from kicking your ass at Crash Bandicoot?"

KJ scoffed. "You wish," he grinned, before letting go of Cole, who rubbed his neck, wincing. "Your grip is fucking brutal, dude."

Camila appeared before KJ could reply. The girl was dressed in her Serpent attire, her fingers moving expertly, tying her long dark hair into a ponytail.

"If you two are done choking on each other's testosterone, are you ready to hear my amazing idea?"

It turned out that Camila had thought of a game. There was a long list of mobsters on her father's desk she'd grabbed. The aim of the game; Obliterate every single one.

They had split into two teams. The team with the most kills won. They were Cole and Lili, and Camila and KJ. "The winner," KJ had said proudly. "Gets the cream cake my dad made last night."

"You mean the one he threatened us with death with if we ate it?" Lili was already dressed, her tranquilizer tucked into her belt. Cole rolled his eyes and couldn't resist a smile. When she was fiddling with her hair, Lili caught his grin.

"What are you looking at?" the girl's expression turned teasing. "We're getting that cake, Jones."

"Lili, you're holding a tranquilizer gun."

"So!" she pointed the gun at Cole, and then the other two, her smile widening. "I could shoot all three of you, knock you into tomorrow, and take them down myself."

KJ rolled his eyes, but then the girl was stalking towards him, and Cole couldn't hold back his laughter. "I will shoot you, dude." she growled, her eyes flashing teasingly. The redhead grinned. "Oh really?" he was swinging a fist towards her face, but Lili was quick. She blocked it, ducked and grabbed the boy in a stranglehold.

"Really." Lili pressed the butt of her tranquilliser into the boy's chin, and KJ let out a choked laugh. "Jesus fuck. Lili wins. Let her have the cake. I surrender!"

Damn. Cole couldn't help thinking as he watched Lili let go of his brother, and high-fiving the boy. He really did love her. After a few minutes of devising strategy's and splitting the mobster list into two; the four of them were off like a shot.

KJ and Camila, who wanted the cake so bad, they'd finished half of it before leaving, had stalked off to find Harrison Figgis, a long time enemy of The Serpents who had ties to The Blossoms. The man wasn't hard to take down. KJ and Camila were a deadly twosome. KJ had been in one of them moods that night. Ready for a fight. If he couldn't find one, the redhead would instigate one. And always win. He was Fred Andrews' son, the boy would never lose in a fight. Camila was sleek, she was fast. The girl’s seductive smile had mobster's last words being, "Aren't you a little young, sweetie?" before a bullet was penetrating flesh and bone. That night, the four of them had managed to get through half of the list, with Fred's son and Hiram's daughter winning. Which was obvious. The two were clearly out for blood, while Lili and Cole were taking their time.

There was a specific moment he'd always remember. When they had stopped being criminals for the night. Since the parents were out, and most of the mobsters had been crossed off the list, they decided to have their own night in. Where for once, it was just them being- well, teenagers. Since every day was a training day, or a schooling in a new fighting tactic. For once in their damn lives, and the first time Cole had admitted his feelings to Lili, all four of them had reverted to their normal, mundane selves.

And hell. It had felt so good. Cole remembered the feeling or not being able to remember the night, except from the best bits; accidentally making out with KJ, trying to play Crash Bandicoot barely being able to hold the controller, and then trying to make out with Lili while the girl was mid-laughing fit. He couldn't remember what had made her laugh. Just that it was the best thing his drunken self had ever heard. Cole wasn't exactly sure how they had gotten to that point of the night- The Serpent children had returned that evening, celebratory yelling and promises of rematches. KJ had finished off the cake, before breaking into FP's drinks cabinet.

"You really do want our dad's to kill you, don't you?" Camila had teased her adoptive brother, before joining him in picking the lock on FP's cabinet. Cole had never drank. Which had felt ridiculous. He was sixteen and never drank a drop of alcohol. Neither had the others. Camila and KJ were clean, since they had lived the same life as him, a scheduled Serpent regime spotless of anything that could slow down performance.

Lili had admitted she had drunk. At parties mostly. She had been surprisingly helpful in telling them which ones fucked you up. The girl had turned into a lecturer, snatching a can of beer from KJ, and replacing it with a bottle of straight vodka.

With the fourth Serpent's assistance they helped themselves to vodka and red and white wine, drinking until they were spread out on KJ's bed, staring dead eyed at a play-station game he had hooked up to the flat screen. But nobody was paying attention to it. Cole had been sprawled on his back, hanging upside down. The bottle of vodka he'd been sipping had fallen from his clumsy grasp. In his mind, it had been the funniest thing that had ever happened; even when the spillage reached KJ's prize collection of comics.

"Oops," he'd spluttered. Unsure if he was going to throw up or not. "Sorry dude." his voice was slurring, but that made the situation even funnier.

KJ was lying on his stomach grinning at the TV, where the game start up screen was. His hair had looked freakishly red from Cole's angle. It looked like the boy's hair was on fire. "S'cool, dude." KJ mumbled. He seemed mesmerised by the gaming screen. Huge orange letters that were too blurry for decipher. "It's funny, isn't it?" the redhead stared at the screen. "Press A to start," KJ spluttered. "Fuck, where's the- where's the controller?" groaning, the boy rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. "Hey remem- remember when we homeless?" the boy slurred. "Remember when we used to look at the stars?" KJ rose his arm, pointing at the ceiling. "t'was the fucking best, bro."

Still hanging upside down, Cole nodded, smiling. "The best." he agreed.

"You used to look at the stars?" Lili choked. Her and Camila were a giggling mess, sprawled all over each other. Camila had already thrown up once, but insisted on keeping the half empty bottle of whisky.

Cole sat up, the world moving with him. Whoa. His stomach jumped into his throat. He cleared it. "Excuse me," he was sure he had dragged out the 'e' far too much. "What, pray tell, is wrong with looking at the stars, Lili?"

Lili was lying over Camila’s stomach. "Everything." she giggled into the girl's chest.

"Dude," KJ murmured. "We were homeless. Looking at the stars was our way of passing the time."

"Lameeeee," Lili giggled. "I wish I was there though. You guys seemed really tight."

_They were._ Cole swallowed. Yep, that was definitely vomit burning in the back of his throat. He was trying to figure out a way of discreetly vomiting in KJ's room without the boy catching on, when Camila sat up, her eyes half open. "Truth or dare."

"Like the game?" KJ muffled into his duvet. Sitting up he regarded the three of them with a lazy smile. "Sure. Lemme wait till my head stops spinning."

"But with a surprising twist!" Camila grabbed KJ's gun from his bedside cabinet, pointing it at each of them with a wicked grin. "Serpent Truth Or Dare."

When Lili and KJ had tried to grab the gun off of her, both failing, since they kept tipping over, Camila giggled. "Relax, it's a tranquilizer." she smirked. "So! the forfeit for Serpent Truth Or Dare is being shot in the chest with this." the girl sent Lili a smirk, and the blonde girl stretched out on the bed. "I still don't forgive you that."

They had sat together on KJ's bed, completely wasted. Lili had her head on Cole's shoulder, and Camila was practically sitting in KJ's lap. "Mmm K," The raven haired girl cleared her throat. "Imma go first." she pointed to Cole. "Truth or dare, Jones."

Jughead shrugged. He was in the mood for anything. "Dare." he smirked at KJ's look of confusion. The redhead cocked a brow. "You want to do a dare?"

He nodded. "Fuck it, right?"

Camila was grinning wildly. "A dare, huh? Okay! Well, I dare you to kiss the person next to you."

Huh. Everything was a blur. Grinning, Cole leaned forward, the room swirling around him like he was on a carousel and went in for the kill. He felt his lips meet someone else's. Warm and sweet. When Camila squealed, his eyes flew open and, fuck. KJ was blinking at him, his eyes wide. "Gotta admit, dude," the boy grinned sheepishly. "That was one hell of a kiss."

Cole laughed, pushing the boy away. The game had fizzled out when all over them perfected dares, and told their deepest, darkest secrets. There was no need for the tranquilliser gun. Eventually when KJ and Camila had drifted off to sleep, after drunkenly fighting over the PlayStation, Cole had found himself lying next to Lili. They had talked for a while, about everything and nothing. He had started to fall asleep, still floating around on a cloud, his mind too intoxicated to speak. But then the blonde had been leaning over him, her warm breath tickling his nose. "Cole? Are you awake?"

"Mmm." he mumbled. Lili had been sitting over him, and she'd been steaming drunk. Perhaps that's why it happened. Without any question, she leaned over and kissed him. Her lips were so soft, so sweet. He could taste the bitter tinge of vodka and orange on her tongue. He was kissing her back before he could hesitate, and then she was grasping at his shirt, clumsily pawing at the buttons. Jugehead had been gasping for breath, ready to fall into her, when- when Lili fell on top of his chest. It took a few moments for him to realize she had fallen asleep, and chuckling, he let her lay there while he played with her hair, until his eyes grew heavy once again, and he let sleep envelope him.

Lili didn't remember the kiss. But he did.

He would always remember it.

-

  
Cole Jones had cried the night his mind was taken from him.

Or maybe it was Jughead Jones. Was it Jughead Blossom? He wasn't sure anymore. He was the second Serpent kid to have his mind turned to mush. KJ was already gone, and his empty shell, the remnants of his scattered mind put back together and turned into a monster would be there with KJ, in front of Camila. The last of them to lose herself.

That killed him far more than the fact that he was close to joining KJ. He was terrified of becoming this unstoppable force, Clifford's secret weapon, with Archie and Veronica. As much as he tried to fight against it, keep their real names cemented in his crumbling mind, it was too hard. Too fucking hard to keep up. They weren't KJ and Camila, they never had been. Sometime he muttered their names - their real names- to feel sane again. Like he wasn't losing his mind. But his tortured brain only laughed at him, throwing their Blossom identities at him. They hit hard, like a brick to the face.

Tears trailed down his cheeks, salt mixing with blood soaking on his lips, tinging his tongue. It felt good to cry. He'd always held it in, suppressed it in- as a Serpent. Because he was taught from a young age to never, ever show emotion to your captor. In this case it wasn't Clifford Blossom. The man who had finally broken him. Crushed his spirit and splintered his very soul. Instead, it was the empty look in his brother's eyes. KJ Andrews was gone. And that fact was enough to make him want to scream, to claw at his hair and screech until his throat was red raw. But he only cried silently. Allowing himself to mutely mourn the loss of his best friend, his brother's, mind.

The boy stood in front of him. Everything about his physical appearance was KJ Andrews. He was battered and bruised, his face an array of black and blue. Jughead had almost gotten used to seeing his brother's face like that. But this was worse. So much worse.

The boy stared straight through him. There was a smirk on his lips, a cruel gleam in the wide brown eyes Jugehead had grown up with, and Cole had found himself falling in love with. Except everything that had been Archie, and then KJ, was gone.

The boy was something, or rather someone else. Still in the stained shorts and t-shirt he had been forced into when they had first become prisoners, his dark red hair spilling over pallid white skin.

Archie, his childhood best friend, and then KJ, his partner in crime- the boy who always had his back, always with that childish smirk, those sparkling eyes full of laughter.

He was gone. The kid who stood in front of him cocking his head in confusion, could only be one person. What The Serpent parents had been terrified of their whole upbringing; Clifford Blossom turning their own killer children against them.

"Jughead." Clifford's voice had been silky smooth, a triumphant grin stretched across his lips. "Come along now, son. It's your turn."

Jughead didn't fight. He didn't have the strength. His eyes were hollow and vacant. The beaten steel door of his cell was pulled open, and the man grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him to his feet. He tried not to cry out when Clifford stuck his face into his neck, breathing in the odour of day old sweat staining his filthy clothes.

"Time to become a Blossom, boy." the man cackled, yanking him out of the cage. His hands were still tied. The new and improved Archie, at least in Clifford's eyes, stood by and watched silently. Jughead tried hard not to look. But it was impossible not to.

Camila, or Veronica, had been sitting up, bleary eyed and confused. But she'd been wide awake the second her eyes settled on Clifford, and then Archie standing behind him, smiling a cruel smile. The girl had whimpered, shuffling back. But her bonds restricted her. All she could do was cry out, swears rolling from her tongue profusely.

"KJ?" she had whispered. The boy didn't answer, only frowning at her, a smile on his lips that wasn't his. It wasn't teasing. The glimmer that had been KJ, or Archie was gone.

"Wait your turn, sweetheart." Clifford had said, all while dragging Jughead away. Camila had struggled, screaming and crying, pleading for him to take her instead. But the man ignored her, continuing to haul Jughead down the long, narrow tunnel. Every step was pain. Terror. This was the last time he was going to be...himself in this tunnel. The thought wouldn't leave his mind, and he ducked his head and sobbed. This time he didn't stop himself, or tried to be discreet. He allowed his lungs to swell, his chest to construct and his eyes to water, hot tears dribbling down his cheeks.

Please. He was mentally pleading. Please don't do this. Please don't do this. His lips were mouthing the words, forcing himself to say it. Maybe if he gave in to Clifford, if he finally broke apart in front of the man and begged to keep his mind-

Was it wishful thinking? perhaps. Almost definitely.

Maybe Clifford would take pity on him. Jughead lifted his head, squinting in the cruel light cast from glittering chandeliers hanging from even the dungeons. His hands were trapped behind him so there was no way he could escape. Casey was too scared to free him. Jughead drew in a breath. Was he really going to fall to the lowest of the low by begging for his sanity? Clifford didn't stop walking, his grip tightening around his neck. Long fingernails pierced his neck and he swallowed a pained scream.

"Clifford," Jughead surprised even himself when the word slipped from his lips, in the voice of a scared little boy. He definitely was no longer Cole. Cole laughed in the face of danger, didn't take mercy on anyone. Watched as a mobster's blood ran cold across concrete before going home and completing Crash Fucking Bandicoot. Jughead however, was the weak little kid inside him, who had been clawing for a way out since his capture.

"What is it, Jughead?" the man's voice was soft. But it lied. That's what Jughead told himself, even when he was desperate for a father figure.

"Don't do this." he whimpered softly. "Please. Whatever you did to my brother, turn him back, and we won't fight back anymore." he was crying again, sniffling. Jughead couldn't bare to think what his father would think, or even Cole. His Serpent self would shove him, hissing like a snake. "Get a fucking a hold of yourself!" the boy would growl. Jughead did. He really tried to be Cole, be the Serpent boy he'd been brought up as.

But he couldn't. He was a shadow of his former self. His whole body ached, he just wanted the pain to stop. The stinging from the lacerations sliced into his wrists. The throbbing in his head from being beaten every single day. He just wanted it to stop.

"It's too late for that, Jughead." Clifford murmured. He had come to a stop in front of the same room he'd woken in, the one Casey had brought him to. Before he could spit out a cry for help, he swallowed it thickly. Nobody was coming for him. His parents and Lili no longer cared. While his brother and sister had the same fate as him. Jughead was seized roughly and dragged inside. The room was empty, apart from one lone chair.

"No," he mumbled, digging his bare feet into the floor. "No!" just seeing where Archie had sat, the restraints hanging from the chair arms, turned his stomach. Archie Andrews had been where he was about to be, and screamed for his death. Clifford ignored his cries and shoved him onto the chair, tying his wrists down. Jughead struggled, tears rolling down his cheeks. It felt normal to cry now. To show emotion to his enemy.

"Please!" he cried, squirming. The man loomed over him and chuckled. "Jughead, I need you," he murmured. "I'm afraid this is inevitable young man."

Electrodes were stuck to his temples. Jughead bit his lip to stop himself screaming. "Did- did you do this to Casey?" he whispered. The question was like word vomit.

"Casey?" Clifford spluttered. "He's here by choice, young man!"

_Bullshit._

"Now, Jughead." Clifford spoke softly. An ancient television was rolled in, the screen static. It hurt his head. "An image is going to pop onto the screen, and you need to tell me what you, okay?"

"Go to hell." Jughead spat.

"What was that?" an electrifying pain rocked his skull then, a pain he'd never felt before. Before he could stop himself, he was screaming out loud, and Clifford was laughing. "I said, what was that?"

"Yes." he whimpered. The first image that came onto the screen was his father. Jughead's heart splintered. "Dad..."

There it was again, a pain so intense, pulsating in his skull. "No, he's not your dad," Clifford growled. "He's a Serpent, and they're bad news, got that?"

_No._   
_No._   
_No._   
_No._

He didn't realize he was speaking out loud until he got four consecutive bolts of agony stabbing his skull, then running through his body, burning his veins inside out. The boy bent over in the chair and screeched, hot tears filling his eyes.

"Please!" he didn't look up. "Don't- don't make me forget them, P- Please."

Clifford cackled, and there was more pain. More pain ripping through him, destroying his mental barrier._ I'm Cole. He told himself. Cole Jones. FP Jones is my father._

_I'm Cole. Cole Jones. FP Jones is my father._

_The Serpents are my family._

_The Serpents are my family._

He thought he could hold on. But the pain was too much. Soon enough, after four hours of agony, his mind had become something else; picked apart by Clifford Blossom. He no longer felt pain, or terror. Instead he was smiling. the TV flashed to a grainy picture of Fred Andrews, and the boy hissed in his seat. "Who is this, Jughead?" Clifford demanded.

Jughead glared at the screen. "A Serpent." he muttered.

"And what do we to Serpents?"

His lips curled into a smirk, his eyes flashing. "We kill them."

  
-


	10. Frying Pan

Before.

The first punch hurt like a bitch. Stumbling back, Lili had to bite into her lower lip to stop herself screaming. Her whole face exploded with agony and suddenly it was so hard not to cry. She sucked in a breath. Don't break. She told herself. Cole was in front of her, his converse squeaking on the training room floor as he bounced on his heels, his lips spread out into an anticipating grin. Lili glared at him. Her chest was aching, her lungs felt starved of oxygen. She was fighting every urge not to give in to her emotions, into Betty Cooper who she'd buried so far, deep down. Part of her just wanted to drop to her knees and surrender. She was never going to be a Serpent if she couldn't even take a hit without crying like a baby. Yet there Cole was, his eyes bright, grin far too wide.

The way he was smiling at her with his stupid green eyes that had captured her heart was enough to ignite her veins. She felt anger and frustration. But her clenched fists stayed by her sides. Cole's hair was messy that morning, a mop of bedhead curls, straying hairs splayed across smooth golden skin. She'd tied her hair back, out of her face. But strands were still dancing in her face as she circled her opponent, trying to at least attempt to look threatening. Lili could feel blood pouring from her nose, tickling her lips. There was a Panic! at the disco song blasting out from the speakers near the door. The Serpent's didn't train in silence, apparently. And since Camila was fond of the band, and nobody could say no to her without receiving a broken nose, Panic! it was.

"Come on Lili! Hit me." Cole's voice was rough, impatient and dare she think it, kind of sexy. He was breathless, ready for a fight. Even this early. Lili hated it. How could he be so awake? She was barely out of bed in a gym shirt she'd managed to pull on, and some leggings she hadn't realized were inside out. Being part of The Serpent kids meant training at stupid hours of the morning. Which was 10am. She could vaguely smell the aroma of bacon and eggs drifting in from upstairs. Fred was cooking breakfast and it smelt fucking amazing. Lili was hungry. But she couldn't eat until she'd taken her Serpent brother down. Cole. Who was the human embodiment of a brick wall.

Lili thought about using her training knife. But it was as sharp as a single strand of her hair. While the others trained with real blades, laughing when they caught each other drawing blood and shaking their heads like it was nothing. When she couldn't even deal with being hit in the face. Don't think about the pain. She mentally told herself. But how could she not? It came in waves, a vicious sting prickling over her nose and mouth. Lili swallowed, licking her bottom lip which was bulging bruised. She winced.

"Come on Lili!" Camila yelled from the sidelines. Her and KJ weren't being the least bit helpful. It was supposed to be her and Cole's training session, where he was teaching her self defence. Which she had to win. But it had turned into some kind of show, where she was the main attraction, the fucking circus act. Lili resisted against rolling her eyes, her blue eyes returning to her task. She had memorized his pressure points, knew how to really get him. But it was going in for the kill that was the hard part.

"Dude, just hit him!" KJ joined in. "Cole's not hard to floor, just go for it!"

"His balls are his weak spot!" Camila called. Cole winced, his eyebrows bunching together.

"I'll floor you both if you don't shut it." He snapped at the two of them.

But Cole didn't lose his smile. He stopped bouncing on his heels and sighed while the chorus of a Panic! song started, reverberating against the walls. Lili bit back a groan. It was too loud. Far too noisy for 10am. Cole nodded his head idly to the song, his lips murmuring along to the words. Huh. Lili cocked her head. Maybe he was a fan too.

"Do you need help?" his lips curled into a teasing smile. But his tone was soft. Which she hated and loved at the time. Cole, she'd realized, could be terrifying. The boy could turn her stomach just by grinning, his eyes ignited with that gleam that all the Serpent's kids shared. Madness. Playfulness. She wanted to share that with them, become one of them. Lili wanted to have the playful smirk painted across her lips that she loved on Cole's, and the glitter of lunacy in KJ's eyes. Lili wanted to be a Serpent.

The fourth Serpent kid they'd call her, when she'd found her balls and cemented her place in the family. Until then she was stuck with plastic training knives and tranquillisers.

It was like a physical ache climbing up her spine, crawling across her neck. She wanted to be one of them. Elizabeth Cooper was dead as far as she was concerned.

Lili didn't look him in the eye, her cheeks burning bright. "Maybe." she muttered, relaxing her fists. Tears burned in her eyes. She was useless. They were nearly a month into her training, and all she'd managed was to do was nearly take Hiram's eye out with a throwing knife and get the four of them temporarily kidnapped by an old flame of Fred's. They were only supposed to be observing Mary Razor's actions. It was the simplest of tasks. Yet when the quartet had managed to sneak in through her back door, Lili had sneezed. Which had alerted not just the woman, but her dog too. Which Camila was suddenly deathly scared of. Long story short, Lili had ended up tied to her partners in crime in the crazy woman's kitchen, while Mary boasted to her friends over the phone that she'd managed to capture The Serpent's kids. "They're just children!" she'd cackled. "I don't understand why everyone's so dang scared of em'! Imma feed the little shits to Strangler."

It turned out Strangler was her rottweiler who Lili was sure had rabies and been conditioned to kill. If KJ hadn't have remembered the knife in his back pocket and managed to free them, they probably would have ended up doggy chow.

"Andrews!" Cole snapped her out of it. When the redhead sprung up eagerly, his eyes lighting up with anticipation, Lili couldn't resist a small smile.

"You need a hand?"

"Front and center." Cole said. KJ nodded, bounding over. Lili took a step back, watching the two boys take their places. Andrews, grinning like a maniac. He was chewing gum with far too much emphasis, his red curls a scruffy mess stuck to his sweaty forehead. He had already pulled his knife from his belt, swinging it playfully. Lili watched the blade glint in the air and Cole didn't even flinch. His green eyes were fixated in concentration, not even tearing from KJ when he was speaking to her outright;

"Alright Lili," he murmured. "Watch KJ floor me, okay?" lifting his fists slowly, the boy started to circle KJ, while the redhead stayed glued to the spot, still playing with his knife. "Kage." Cole flashed the boy a smirk. "There's no need for the knife."

"And?" KJ scoffed, wrapping his fingers tighter around the blade. "I'm not going to miss an opportunity to show off, Jones."

Cole rolled his eyes, but his eyes were twinkling. "Whatever dude." he murmured. The boys engaged in a bizarre ritual type movement, where they'd lunge at each other, before backing away. They moved in sync with the song still blaring from the speakers. Lili's stomach flipped over when KJ made the first attack. Cole staggered back with a laugh. "Watch!" he ordered, and Lili felt a flicker of exhilaration running through her from the tone of his voice. "Start with the throat, then the chest, then the gut," his words came out breathy, heavy with gasps as he blocked all of KJ's advances. The redhead growled in frustration. "Back down, Jones," he said. The boy's eyes darkened. But Cole barely looked fazed. "What are you waiting for?" he teased. "Take me down, Andrews."

"I'm trying!" The Andrews boy spat back. "But. You're. Blocking. Every. Damn. Hit!" his words flew out as the boy struggled to match Cole's pace. Lili admired the raven head. His reaction time was perfect, a thousand times better than hers. He saw every punch KJ threw, every kick aimed at his face, and the exact place the redhead aimed his knife.

"Dude!" Cole was grinning now, his eyes wild and frightening. But Lili loved everything about the way he looked. Like an animal playing with his food. "You're making this too easy!"

KJ went in again, this time with the knife. But Cole ducked and spun around. Lili watched him disarm the redhead, before twisting his arms behind his back and kicking the boy onto his knees. KJ landed with a thud. "Well fuck," he spluttered. "You got me."

Breathing hard, Cole looked up to meet her eyes. "Do you see now?" he murmured, eyes prying for her to understand. "How to beat me?"

Lili nodded. She had the moves perfected in her head, her arms were already tingling. Her fists clenched, already in their stance. She admired the Serpent children's strength, stamina and abilities. But she had something they didn't; a photographic memory. Every lunge Cole had made, every pressure point he'd emphasised on; she had it in clarity.

KJ jumped up and stretched. "I want a rematch," smirking he held out his hand for Cole to shake. "Thanks for the beating, bro."

Cole accepted his hand with a grin. Lili already knew what was going to happen from the twist in the redhead's lips. Cole seemed to understand a second too late. So much for perfect reaction time. "Oh you piece of-" his words blossomed into a string of swears when KJ didn't let go of him. "Remember Lil," KJ panted as he grabbed Cole's arm and twisted it. "Hey!" Cole yelped, hitting the floor. The raven haired boy let out a hiss, then a frustrated cry. "Foul play!" he cried, struggling in KJ's grip. But KJ didn't back down, pushing the boy onto his back and straddling him, pinning his arms to the ground.

Cole was red faced, breathless. The redhead grabbed his knife from the ground with one hand, stavbbing the blade into Cole's chin. "Never underestimate your opponent." Lili had never noticed the tension between them. Cole's stubbornness and KJ's need to take his brother down. It was like winning an award. Cole's teeth were gritted, his eyes glaring up at the triumphant Serpent brother. "You're an asshole."

"Love you too bro," KJ jumped up and folded his arms, his gaze on Lili. "See." the boy gestured to Cole still lying on his back, glaring daggers at the ceiling. "He's a piece of cake."

"It's my off day." Cole muttered, getting to his feet. "I'm not usually that dimwitted." Ignoring KJ's laughter as the boy ran off to join Camila, he jutted his chin at Lili. "Ready?"

She managed a nod and held her breath. "First," she said, forcing her words not to tremble. She was Lili Andrews. Not Betty. She had to channel her inner Serpent. "I want you to hit me." she said. When the boy cocked his head looking confused, she gestured to her face. "In the face. Hard." she psyched herself up, remembering the parent's words from earlier training sessions. Pain can motivate your hits. Suppressing the little girl trying to tear out of her, Lili forced her lips into a threatening grin. She was Camila. Not scared of anything. She was a Serpent daughter, unable to feel pain. Her heart was a jackhammer in her chest. Come on, she could do this. She had to do this. If she failed, Lili Andrews would become a laughing stock. If they couldn't convert her, would they kill her? Send her home? Somehow the latter seemed worse. Back to being perfect Betty Cooper.

_No fucking way._

"Do it," Lili said. When Cole frowned, she rolled her eyes. "Do it!" she yelled. He actually looked surprised. "Alright," he muttered. "But you asked for it, okay?" Cole chuckled. "Don't go crying to Fred like last time. You need to take a proper hit."

Lili clenched her jaw. "Just do it."

She was expecting the hit. Lili watched the boy's rock hard fist swing forward. Every instinct was screaming at her to run away as the world seemed to slow down around her. Then: impact. Pain. Agony hitting her like a wave. But she was able to suppress it, using the pain to motivate her backlash. Before she could hesitate, before Betty Cooper could take over, Lili was ducking. Two, three, four. She counted mentally, before springing back up and launching the knuckles of her fist into Cole's face. When he staggered back with a hiss, she used it to her advantage. But the boy was coming back at her with a cry, green eyes blazing. Except he was grinning. And her face was killing, blood pouring from her nose. But she couldn't stop smiling either. "That's it!" Cole yelled. "Now, try and floor me!" he spread out his arms, spitting blood. "Free shot, Betty Cooper."

Something snapped inside of her. Lili lunged at him again. One hit to the throat, then grazing his chin. "Don't call me that," she spat. But the boy only smirked, cocking an eyebrow. She had on his knees. "How about Elizabeth Cooper?" he teased. Which only fed the inferno inside of her. When he tried to get back up she shoved him back down, kneeing him in the face. "Lili, shit that fucking-" ignoring his complaining, she leapt on him, getting a good strangle hold of his neck. They crumpled to the ground, but Lili didn't let up. She kicked his legs apart, straddling him before he could roll out from underneath her. "How was that?" she was panting in his face, while he stared up at her through half lidded eyes. God, his lips looked so soft. It was hard to keep from yelling in triumph, howling in victory like the others did when they won a duel. She stayed silent.

Cole seemed to be locked into a state of shock. He was a sweaty, panting mess below her. She had actually taken him down. "Damn, Lili." he boy grinned up at her. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"So the ugly duckling finally becomes a swan, huh?" The booming voice was Hiram. When Lili and Cole looked up, the man was standing in the doorway. Fred and FP by his side. The three men were smiling. Fred nodded once at her, and she rolled off Cole, allowing the boy to jump up. "She'll be ready for assignments soon." he sounded proud, and a piece of her, just those fragments of Betty Cooper lingering, wanted to jump up and down.

"She certainly will." Hiram strode over, offering his hand. Lili stared down at it. Until now she'd been ignored by the man. Beaming, she shook it while KJ and Camila joined them. Fred smiled warmly. "Breakfast is upstairs," he groaned. "Camila, please turn off Heart Attack at the Parade or whatever you call them. I'm getting a headache."

"Panic! at the disco, FYI." the girl corrected him, but she pulled her phone out and shut the song off.

Fred's eyes were then fixated on her, and Lili had an urge to throw herself into the man's arms. But, as far as she knew-the Serpent kids didn't do that sort of thing.

"I knew you could do it," he smiled proudly. "Come and get breakfast, I bet you're starving."

She nodded and was about to follow the man, but someone tapped her on the shoulder. Spinning around, she found herself inches from Cole's teasing smile. "Never thought I'd say this, but I think you broke my jaw."

She couldn't resist a giggle. "If you piss me off like that again, I'll do worse."

His laugh was warm. "Can't wait."

  
\----

"Elizabeth, honey?"

Up until that point, Lili was happy floating around in the void, far, far away from reality. She thought she was dead. The wounds in her chest had been fatal, right? so maybe her mother's voice in her ears was some kind of hallucination. "Betty?" it came again, louder, and she felt herself flinch. Okay, so she wasn't dead. It took a moment for her to break out of the foggy reverie her mind had been trapped inside, before Lili realized she was on her knees, her head bowed. She could feel her hair dangling in her face, tickling her cheeks.

"Betty. Wake up, honey." Lili felt her stomach twist at the sound of her old name. Her mom was here? She bit back a groan, licking her dry lips. When she tried to shake her head in defiance, pain exploded in the back of her head. Fuck, that hurt. But Lili could suppress her pain now. She forced it to the back of her mind, fixating her concentration on prying her eyes open. It was hard at first, since the pain in her head was rotten. It was the kind of dull pounding that turned her stomach. Bile burned in the back of her throat, but she swallowed it down. "Mom?" she managed to whisper. Her voice was hoarse. When she did open her eyes, squinting through fraying lashes, she saw her mother sitting in front of her. Alice Cooper's expression was hard, her blue eyes icy.

Lili stared hard at her mother, her gaze skating around the room she was in, drinking in her surroundings. It was bright. Far too bright. Urgh. Lili squeezed her eyes shut against the allure blinding her. She was kneeling on soft carpet. When she risked opening her eyes once more, her mother was smiling. "Elizabeth, thank god you're awake." Alice said softly. "Don't worry sweetheart, you're safe now."

_Safe_? When Lili tried to move, she found her arms pinned behind her back, her hands entangled with someone else. Who was that? She felt their back pressed against hers, heard their soft breaths in sync with her own.

Tears burned her eyes. "Did you tie me up?" she whispered, shivers tingling down her spine. When she struggled, she felt lacerations in her wrists, harsh rope chafing against her skin.

"Casey?" she hissed. "Mads?"

The resounding groan from her companion sent her heart into a frenzy. Casey. How had she not noticed?

"Betty don't be afraid," Alice said. "We had to restrain you because you've been a prisoner for so long," Alice leaned forward, her perfume tingling Lili's nose. "I'm afraid you've been brainwashed, sweetheart."

"Brainwashed?" Lili managed to splutter.

"Elizabeth." Alice's tone hardened. "The men that took you brainwashed you into thinking you're part of their family. They did it to three other kids too, but we've managed to save them as well," Lili's mother reached out and stroked her hair, brushing strands from her eyes. "They also had Clifford Blossom's daughter, but we've managed to get her back. As for Kevin Keller, we're sure he has been compromised. Hence why he too has been restrained."

Anger bubbled up inside of her. But the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. Alice continued. "Fear not-" she straightened up, folding her arms across her chest. "Clifford has a way of bringing my Elizabeth back, as well as making sure Kevin forgets ever running into those nasty Serpents."

"Bullshit." Casey's hiss startled her, but brought momentary relief. Lili felt his fingers graze against hers reassuringly. "You're going to stick us in that torture chair and force us to submit to The Blossom's. Don't sugar it, you evil witch."

"Kevin, that's enough." Alice said. She glared at her daughter. "Betty, I'll leave you to rest. Your session is scheduled for later on in the afternoon." Lili flinched when her mother pecked her cheek. "Just think all of this as a bad dream, okay?" when Alice leaned in, Betty thought the woman was going to kiss her on the cheek again, but instead her ice cold lips nipped Lili's ear. "You're Blossom by blood, Elizabeth." she spat. "Do you understand me?"

Lili could deal with mobsters. Staring down a psychopath was a piece of cake. But her delusional mother who was willingly part of a family of monsters? She dropped her gaze, her chest clenching. Surprisingly, Alice didn't push her. Instead she sighed before turning and walking away. The slam of a door signalled that she'd gone, and the second her and Casey were alone, Lili let out a shuddery breath. She closed her eyes, leaning into Casey, who blew a raspberry. "Well, we're fucked." he said, with a harsh laugh. "Nice knowing you, Lil."

She could only reply with a grunt. After a while of just sitting there staring at the ground, the door opened again. Lili lifted her head, narrowing her eyes. She should have been expecting it. After all, she was in what could only be The Blossom mansion. Yet her heart still jumped into her throat when Cole walked in. KJ at his side.

Camila was nowhere to be seen, but maybe that was a good thing. Lili tried to keep her expression neutral when Cole wandered over, KJ following suite. The two of them almost looked like their Serpent selves again. After the ruckus at the coffee shop, they were noticeably disheveled. Cole's hair looked a mess, hanging in his eyes, while KJ's was sticking up in different directions. Lili could almost believe they were back to normal. But the blank looks in their eyes confirmed that they were still Blossom puppets. Lili didn't struggle when Cole knelt in front of her. But damn, she wanted to. Instead, she met his dead eyes. "What do you want?" she said softly, her voice trembling.

"Cliff wants Keller." KJ answered her. His voice was that same monotone drawl. Cole nodded but he didn't take his eyes off of her, and she internally squirmed. "Snake." the boy spat. "I should have stepped on you when I had the chance."

Her voice was choked. "Why didn't you?"

Cole didn't reply. He jumped up, clearing his throat. "Archie, grab Keller."

The redhead nodded, and Casey growled. "Touch me, Andrews, and I swear to fucking god I'll carve your eyes out." ignoring the boy's threats, KJ untied Casey, yanking the boy up roughly and dragged him away. Taking him to have his mind turned to mush, turned submissive. Clifford was going to turn him into a monster, like the others. And soon enough, she will be converted too. Lili wanted to cry out, but she didn't dare speak. Didn't dare scream. Not when he was so close to her. KJ disappeared with Casey and Lili found herself alone with the boy she was pretty sure she had fallen in love with, who's mind was Clifford Blossom's. Her heart ached. The bastard had taken Cole, KJ and Camila from her- and was probably in the process of converting Madelaine and Casey.

Their old names didn't mean anything to her anymore. Their Serpent pseudonym's remained cemented in her mind. Lili thought Cole was going to leave with KJ, but he stayed. The boy didn't speak. He sat on his knees and glared at her, his eyebrows furrowing. He looked almost confused, his head cocked. The most emotion she'd ever seen on his face in this state. Lili put up with that same damn vacant expression for what felt like an hour, before she finally caved. "What?" she growled, struggling in her bonds. "What are you staring at?"

"I'm not sure." Cole murmured. He chuckled. "I'm trying to figure out why I haven't killed you yet," he clucked his tongue. "Lili Andrews, the daughter of a snake."

Lili stiffened, feeling her cheeks burn scarlet. She wanted to tell him that he was the son of a Serpent, that he too was like her. He had a father who loved him so much that it physically hurt the man to try and get his son back. Lili had seen the pain on FP's face when she'd revealed that Cole and the others had been captured. Fred had insisted that they went after them, tried to get them back. But FP, swiping at his eyes feverishly, said through gritted teeth; "I don't want to see my boy turned Blossom."

Hiram had agreed. It was their worst nightmare. Even Fred crumbled after a while, admitting that he didn't want to see KJ, when Clifford had messed with his head. Lili wondered if the Serpent kids, prior to their conversion, had waited for their parents, and slowly lost hope and faith that they were coming, believing they no longer cared.

She wanted to tell Cole that his parents did love him, they had never stopped. But Lili knew her words wouldn't register in his poisoned mind. The boy she knew was gone. The devoid look in his eyes was painful to look at. She squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath. She wouldn't lose it. Not in front of him.

After a while, the door flew open, and Lili flinched. She couldn't help it. At the corner of her eye, a shadow loomed over the threshold. Followed by a second figure who lingered at the doorway. She didn't dare turn her head. If Casey had been turned, she was terrified of seeing him. He was already a Blossom, only on The Serpent's side because of her. If he too had been transformed into an emotionless killer, she refused to look.

"That was quick," Cole muttered. "Did Keller break that easily?"

Footsteps. Each one sent her stomach twisting into knots. Lili lifted her head, peering through bleary vision. KJ had joined Cole, the two of them looming over her like they were standing over her grave. "He was easy," KJ said. "Squealed like a pig."

Cole looked satisfied, and Lili's heart broke. She sat in silence. "Where is he now?"

"Standing in the doorway."

Cole's expression turned perplexed. "What?" but before he could say anything, to Lili's shock, KJ wound his fist back, slamming it into the boy's face. Cole fell to his knees, letting out a cry. And while he was distracted, KJ's stony expression slipped away, his old smile crawling back onto his lips. "Been a while, Lili!" he panted, rushing over to her. his hands moving quickly to untie the bonds around her wrists. She could only splutter in confusion. "How?" she managed. "Weren't you just-"

"Yeah," KJ winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Casey whacked me over the head with a frying pan." he yanked Lili to her feet, and the two of them turned to face Cole who had recovered. His eyes were murderous.

"Cole," KJ growled softly. "You're in a trance." he turned to Lili. "Stay by my side."

Lili nodded, moving to stand by him. Cole glared at the two of them. "You're with the snake?" he hissed at KJ, who rolled his eyes. "Dude, _YOU'RE_ a snake! Clifford fucked with our heads," The redhead let out an exasperated hiss. "Snap out of it!"

Cole didn't reply. His dark eyes flickered to Lili. "What did you do to him?" his lip curled, his eyes flashing. Lili held her breath. At the corner of her eye, she saw Casey getting closer and closer, his hands wrapped around the handle of a frying pan.

"Cole," she said softly. But before she could say anything, the boy was lunging towards her. Straight for the snake that he despised. _The girl he wished he'd killed when he had the chance._

Straight for the kill.


	11. Blossom Born

Kevin, or rather Casey Keller was a Blossom. There was no doubt about that. He had been brought up to serve one purpose: Protect the Blossom empire, and their eldest daughter, the heir to the family throne, Cheryl Blossom. Though becoming part of the family hadn't really been much of his choice. When he was five years old, Kevin and most of the kids in his class were put forward into a training program to become future guards. At fourteen he'd been given his new name, and officially became Cheryl Blossom's body guard. He was put through brutal training sessions, tied up, shot at with rubber bullets. Which had transformed him from a normal kid, to a killing machine. So he guessed, in a way, Casey was like the Serpent kids. Brought up to be a killer. Except- he wasn't a psychopath.

But then he met Betty Cooper. And something sparked inside of him. It was a different type of love. An attachment so strong he couldn't find it in himself to hurt her when she became a Serpent. An enemy. So now here he was, on the opposing side. With his dad's life on the line. For Betty- or he guessed...for Lili. Except now he was in danger of losing his mind. Losing his love for Betty, any respect he had for The Serpent's and their children. If Casey didn't act soon, he would finally become what his father and Clifford wanted in the first place. What he had been until he had grown soft for Lili Andrews, the twisted alter ego of Elizabeth Cooper. What Clifford had turned the Serpent kids into, as well as any rebelling Riverdale born's who refused to become Blossom's.

He was going to be pure fucking Blossom, and right now, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Hey KJ," Casey managed to choke out, when the last coil of fraying rope was tightened around his wrists. The redhead was making sure his bonds were as tight as humanely possible, and he gritted his teeth, struggling in the chair he'd been forced into. The ex Serpent son loomed over him, securing his bonds, and didn't acknowledge his name. Though that wasn't exactly surprising. The boy was called Archie now. What a weird name. Casey, as much as he despised the Serpent boy, only tolerating him for Lili- preferred KJ.

"KJ!" he hissed again, squirming in the restraints. The boy ignored him, instead circling around Casey like a shark. He cocked his head, confused, curling his lip.

He'd be lying if he didn't find that slightly adorable.

_God dammit, concentrate._

"Right." Casey rolled his eyes. "You don't go by that name anymore." sucking in a breath, he cleared his throat. "Listen, moron." he grumbled. His chest was aching. With every passing second his fate was drawing closer. Casey kept telling himself he wouldn't submit to the torture. He had been trained after all. But KJ, Cole and Camila had thought that too, and yet they had gone inside the room, fighting, screaming, spitting, rebelling against guards, and came out, completely hollowed out. Empty eyes and twisted smiles.

There was no way he was going to become like that.

Casey sighed at the boy’s ignorance. "I mean- I- fuck, I guess I mean Archie." he whispered. Fuck, he was losing it. Casey had been taught to swallow his fear. But this was too much. He was completely helpless. And not even his father would rescue him, because apparently Casey was already 'brainwashed' and needed to be reprogrammed. He hissed out a breath. Don't cry. He told himself. Fuck, don't cry!

The boy would always be KJ Andrews to him. Fred Andrews' ruthless son. The bastard with a glimmer in his eyes, a twisted, playful grin that sometimes took him off guard.

Archie cocked a brow. He folded his arms across his chest. "Are you eyeing me up, Case?" the boy smirked at him suggestively, and Casey bit back a groan. "Sure," he panted, leaning back in his chair. The ropes pressed against his chest, and he struggled to breathe. The tighter the bonds were, the more he panicked. If he could just distract the brainless ass, he might be able to get the upper hand.

Casey forced a smile. "How 'bout you untie me and we'll talk?"

The boy chuckled, unblinking. Fuck. Clifford really had done a number on him hadn't he? In his Blossom days, before Betty had been exposed to the reality of the empire, Casey had often wondered why Cheryl had been so infatuated with KJ Andrews. Every time she talked about him, the girl adapted a funny look on her face, and he had been unsure if the girl wanted to murder him, or fuck him. But now, looking at Carrot Top, truly taking in all of the Serpent boy, Casey kind of understood it. The way the boy stood over him, dishevelled and filthy. His red hair a matted mess across his pale forehead, freckles dancing across his cheeks. When the two had first met at Betty Cooper's door, KJ had smiled at him, his tongue stuck out, brown eyes sparkling with madness. The kind of lunacy Casey stayed well away from. But somehow, on the boy, it fit.

Presently, KJ's eyes were devoid of anything human. Clifford had stripped away the kid's personality, the playful spark in his eyes that seemed to light up his whole face. What Casey was looking at now, was a puppet. A mindless drone who happened to have the Serpent boy's face.

_Fucking hell, Lili._ Casey groaned mentally. He didn't blame her for falling for Cole. The Serpent kids were irresistible. Even Blossom pawns, they still oozed their Serpent roots.

"Sure, I swing both ways, man." Archie winked, and Casey felt his stomach twist. He could have kicked himself. No, no, this wasn't flirting! He wanted to scream at his body, which granted, had been aching for some kind of male contact for a while now. It just so happened to be the worst time possible. He struggled again, desperately searching for a way out. Letting out a frustrated breath, Casey met the boy's smirk, his cheeks burning.

He was going to regret this. Sucking in a breath, he forced out his next words, no matter how cringe-worthy they were. If Lili ever found out he had attempted to seduce a Serpent boy, she would never let him live it down. Considering his hatred for the three of them.

"Bondage, huh?" Casey managed a shaky laugh. "Take me out to dinner first, yeah?"

Archie didn't answer. But he did come uncomfortably close, a smirk playing on his lips.

Casey cringed, a shiver rocketing down his spine. Archie Andrews was, in his eyes, a sheep in wolves clothing. Sure, he had the smile of a gentleman. But damn, could it twist into something horrific. Casey found himself staring into the boy's blank eyes.

It was like looking into the void. Here we go again. His heart stammered. But he had to stay calm, had to stall. Before he truly lost his mind. And then what would Betty do? With Jughead, Archie and Veronica - or Cole, KJ and Camila- still brainwashed puppets, and the Serpent parents preferring to stay out of it- the girl was on her own.

So that left _him_ to save her. Casey had been protecting Cheryl Blossom his whole damn life. The girl was a hard-ass on her own now. She could protect herself.

Right now, it was the Serpent girl that needed him. If he could just get out of these fucking ropes.

He gritted his teeth, refusing to look at the screen being set up. If he didn't do something soon, it was going to be too late. His freedom would be snatched from him, and Casey would be a grinning sociopath, his body and mind Clifford's to play with.

_Just like the boy in front of him._

Holding his breath, Casey cleared his throat. "Well?" he murmured, steeling himself. He didn't exactly look his best right now, what with half of his face bruised, thanks to multiple beatings, his hair and clothes a bedraggled mess. Casey licked his split lip.

Who knows, Maybe Archie was into that. _He hoped so_. Seduction was one of many things he had excelled at in training. "What do you say?"

When the redhead leaned close, he squeezed his eyes shut. But Archie's lips just nipped his ear playfully, his breath hot and heavy.

God, it was the worst time to be turned on right now. Casey used that as an advantage. "C'mon," he breathed softly, flicking his gaze to the redhead. "Just dinner?" tackling at the ropes twined around his hands, Casey maintained eye contact with Archie. _He could do this._ Sawing through a knot with his fingernail, he managed to tear through the tightest one.

"Why don't we put this whole reprogramming bullshit on hold, huh?" he pulled his lips into a grin.

To his surprise, the boy smiled back. "But you're a traitor, Case," he whined. "You align yourself with that Serpent girl."

The restraints around his wrists were getting weaker. Casey fought back a cry of triumph. "Not a traitor, Archie," he gasped out, struggling with the last straying bits of rope. He almost had it. "I've been a Blossom longer than you."

"Oh yeah?" Casey lost his breath when Archie bent down in front of him, inclining his head. It wasn't fair that even dishevelled, the boy still looked gorgeous. Casey opened his mouth to speak. Though he wasn't sure what to say. A strange sensation had taken over his body causing his breath to come out heavy, his chest heaving. Maybe he was imagining it, but he felt- tight. Casey didn't dare look down. He could feel his cheeks blossoming an incredibly revealing shade of red. "Archie," he mumbled. But it came out more as a moan. Suddenly he was no longer the seducer. Casey was the one being seduced.

"Hm?" Archie's smile was innocent. It only made Casey's...situation, a thousand times worse. Casey held his breath, his hands growing clumsy, tackling the bonds. He nearly had it. It frustrated him that the boy had turned him into this blushing mess, and yet Archie hadn't even broke a sweat. Casey tried to keep his expression passive, even when a thick sheen of sweat coated his forehead. Pressing his legs together wasn't doing a great job of hiding his dirty secret. It was funny how so much could be communicated through simple smiles, and what Casey could only describe as Sex Eyes. God, he hated KJ as a Serpent, but as a Blossom- he had really outdone himself. But right now, Casey had to use his raging hormones to get him the hell out of this. If not, Lili was on her own.

Casey reached the last knot holding his wrists together and yanked as hard as he could, holding back a breath of relief when he felt the rope loosen. Just one more pull.

"Are you okay, Case?" Archie murmured. Casey was pretty sure he could see the growing bulge in his jeans. He managed a nod, and Archie's smile grew as he got closer. At first Casey thought the boy was going to spit in his face. But with a softening smile, and half lidded eyes, Archie leaned in, and Casey found himself magnetised towards the redhead's lips. This Archie wasn't real. He was Clifford's brainwashed killing machine. At least that's what he told himself. But something exploded in his chest when the boy's soft lips met his own, Archie's hands moving to cradle his face. Something he really wasn't expecting. After all, it was supposed to be a ruse. A way to escape. Seduce the enemy.

But now- he was kissing the enemy. He was kissing KJ Andrews, whose mind had been taken from him and pulverised into nothing. Except something about this version of him. He found himself wanting more. For a moment, Casey forgot about the fact that he was restrained to a chair, and was currently making out with his sworn enemy. Instead, in his imagination, there were no Serpents or Blossom's. There was just him and Archie.

"I'm not stupid, y'know," Archie murmured into his lips. But Casey was too breathless to answer. "Seduce me and escape, right?" he chuckled. "Not gonna happen, pal."

"You're insufferable." he growled back, resisting the urge to bite down on the asshole's lip. 

The boy only giggled and pulled away, winking. "Thanks."

"It wasn't a compliment!"

Casey ragged apart the last of his restraints. Finally his hands were free. His chest was aching. Part of him wanted to kiss the boy again, for real this time. While the Blossom in him wanted to slice open his throat and watch him bleed out on the floor. _Just a little more..._

"Why stop now, huh?" Casey leaned back as far as he could. Cheeks already smouldering, he had lost pretty much all of his pride. "Kiss me again."

Casey didn't waste any time. Archie leaned in again, his eyes flickering shut. But before he could capture his breath in another kiss, Casey jumped to his feet, kicking the chair over. Archie didn't look surprised, to his annoyance. The boy only straightened up, his eyes hardening. "Oh come on Case, I actually like you!" he whined. Casey stumbled back. He had no weapons. Only his fists. And Archie was the human embodiment of a brick wall.

"I don't want to fight you!" but Archie was grinning, his eyes lit up with excitement. Before Casey could spit out a reply, the boy was lunging forwards, swinging his fist directly into Casey's jaw. Pain exploded, coming in startling convulsions, but he swallowed a cry. "Archie, listen to me," he managed to choke out. He aimed a hit to the boy's nose, but it was clumsy, and Archie easily dodged it. "You're in a trance!" Casey yelled, clapping his hands in front of the boy's face. "Please! Snap out of it!"

Casey didn't realise tears were rolling down his cheeks, perhaps from the pain, but maybe from frustration too. Clifford really had killed Fred Andrews' son. he sniffled, wiping at his eyes. Lili was going to be broken. "KJ," he tried again, even when he knew there was no point. "Your name is KJ, you fucking moron! You're a Serpent, not a Blossom!"

The boy ignored him, this time aiming punches to his neck, chest and abdomen. At first, Casey could fight back, managing to catch the boy off guard a few times, but soon enough he was on the floor, gasping for breath, pain riddling his body. He spat blood and groaned, ending up on his stomach. Archie stood over him, still with that vacant grin plastered on his lips. Casey's throat burned with the urge to screech in his face.

"Lets get you back to the chair," the boy sang, moving to grab him. But Casey managed to crawl backwards, his hands pawing for anything to use as a weapon. the first thing he got his hands on, a steel frying pan, he wrapped his hands around the handle and shakily got to his feet. Archie cocked his brow, a smirk curving on his lips. "A frying pan?"

Spitting another mouthful of blood, Casey groaned. "I think you punctured my lung, you asshole." he swung the frying pan, in what he hoped was a threatening manner. "Stay back!" he hissed. The boy regarded his makeshift weapon with amused eyes.

"What exactly are you planning on doing with that, huh?" the boy's eyes were bright, anticipating his next move. Casey wasn't even sure anymore. Surely the frying pan would only knock out the asshole for a few minutes. But it would give him time to make a break for it, and free Lili and Cheryl. Archie folded his arms. "Dude, just sit back on the chair." with a half-hearted shrug, the boy sighed. "I don't want to hurt you, Case."

Somehow, there was a tinge of humanity in the boy's expression. Casey found himself hanging onto it for far too long, before shaking his head, gritting his teeth.

"I'd rather die, Archie." Casey swung the frying pan again weakly. His arms were killing, every instinct in his body was telling him to just collapse.

Archie rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine," he sighed. the boy took long strides towards him, and Casey staggered back, swinging the frying pan. "Case!" Archie dodged his crappy hits, giggling. "Just let go, okay?" his smile made Casey feel sick. Cocking his head, Archie's eyes flashed. "Do you really want to stay allegiant to those filthy Serpents?"

"You're a Serpent!" Casey spat back. "Y'know Fred Andrews? The man who you've been trained to kill? He's your father."

Archie didn't even acknowledge his words. "Stand down, Casey." he murmured. Casey was about to fight back, but then an idea sprung to mind; Play dead. He dropped the pan, and it hit the floor with a metallic clang he felt in his teeth. "alright, you got me," he groaned, raising his arms in surrender. Maybe the redhead might not have fallen for it, if he didn't look half dead already. Casey used his beaten body to an advantage, letting himself fall limp. Archie looked taken aback, but quickly got over it, before making his way over. "Alright Keller," he grinned. "I didn't think you'd submit so fast."

Casey scowled. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm spitting blood." to emphasise, he gathered up a mouthful of it, letting it dribble down his chin.

Archie made a face. "You asked for it, dude." the boy chuckled, before squatting in front of him. Casey maintained eye contact with the boy, but slowly reached for the handle of the frying pan. Securing his grip, he held his breath. Archie cocked his head again.

"I don't get it," he murmured. "Why do all of this for that girl?" his brown eyes darkened. "Lili Andrews, the daughter of a snake." Casey's chest ached when Archie said her name, spitting it out like venom on his tongue. He felt like gushing that he too was the original son of a snake, that he shared the same name as her. Andrews. But his words would fall on deaf ears. Which was incredibly frustrating. The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, before letting out a soft sigh and fixing him with another empty grin. "Alright, Keller. Lets get you back to normal."

Casey rose to his feet without complaint, keeping the pan behind his back. When Archie turned his back, he saw his chance. He'd probably never get another one better than this.

"Hey, Archie," he said. The boy hummed in response, starting to turn back to him. But before he could, Casey swung the butt of the frying pan directly into the boy's skull, the clang of metal hitting bone made Casey's stomach churn. But thankfully, Archie crumpled to the floor, knees first, before his body followed, slumping to the concrete floor with a meaty smack. Casey waited a few seconds, just in case the boy sprung back to consciousness. But Archie stayed down, and for a moment, Casey found himself staring down at the knocked out boy. He looked strangely angelic; pale skin, strands of red hair trickling in closed eyes. Had he killed him? No. The kid's chest was rising and falling like normal.

Casey couldn't quite believe his eyes. A Serpent kid- finally at his mercy, sprawled out right in front of him. Just waiting for him to plunge a dagger through their heart. But he couldn't do that. Even if KJ was lost, and Archie permanently Clifford Blossom's bespoke psychopath. Casey couldn't do it to Lili. She loved him. He was practically her brother.

So instead of giving in to his Blossom urges, Casey glared down at the boy. His eyes were stinging again. "I'm not sorry, asshole." he muttered, curling his lip. "You've been asking for that, all fucking year."

He got back to his feet, swiping his mouth. Urgh. Maybe Archie really had punctured his lungs. The taste of rusty pennies in the back of his throat made him gag. Casey shook his head. He had to get the hell out of here. He bent down and grabbed the frying pan, his best method of defence, before his gaze fell on Archie again. The Serpent boy who had been imprisoned and tortured into becoming a Blossom. The kid looked so harmless, just laying there. He had a strange impulse to cover the boy with something, a blanket to keep him warm. The room they were in was freezing. After all, it was practically a dungeon; concrete flooring splattered with old paint and crumbling walls. The perfect prison.

_Lili._ Casey shook himself out of his reverie. With one last lingering look at Archie, turned to walk away. His heart was in his throat. He was in pretty bad shape, would he be able to fight Cole and Camila? Fuck, he'd have to. Casey was halfway to the door, when someone grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He had barely enough time to breathe, before he found himself being slammed into crumbling brick wall. It took him a few dizzying seconds to realize it was Archie. The boy's eyes were blazing, his lips curled into a snarl. But there was something- different. Unlike earlier, when he'd been staring at empty eyes, void of humanity. Now the kid's eyes were sparkling with madness. Archie was seething. The glimmer in his brown eyes that made the bastard a Serpent, was back. And Casey, to his own surprise, let out a spluttered laugh of delight.

"Alright Keller," Archie growled, every word emphasised by a glob of spittle flying in his face. "You better tell me why I'm dressed like a fucking abercrombie model, why I can't remember a thing, where my family are, and what the fuck is going on before I-" the boy's expression faltered slightly when he caught Casey's sly smile. He tightened his grip. "What the fuck are you smiling at?"

Casey rolled his eyes. "One question," he said. "What's your name?"

"What?" the boy blinked. "What game are you playing, Keller?" gritting his teeth, the redhead leaned in close. "I won't fucking ask you again. Where's my family?" after a moment, he sighed, frustrated. "KJ." he mumbled. "What else would it be?"

Casey let out a breath of relief. His body was aching, and damn, he wanted to collapse. But he stayed on his feet, swaying slightly. He couldn't seem to stop grinning. "Oh thank fuck," he shoved the boy off him easily. KJ let go abruptly, his grip slipping all together. "Alright KJ. Lets get one thing straight, alright? I don't like you, or your family of vermin, bar Lili. I never will. But Jesus fuck, I've missed you." before the redhead could reply, he patted the boy on the chest. “Never change, alright? That look on your face, now? The “I want to rip your head off, Casey” scowl? Yeah, I’ve never been happier to see it.”

KJ's glare sharpened. "You'll be ecstatic in a second when I punch you in the face," he growled. "What the fuck happened?"

Casey shrugged. "You went away for a while. But you're back now. That's what matters."

KJ frowned at him. He scratched the back of his head. "I don't get it," he mumbled. "Where did I go?" his eyes widened when he streaked his fingers through his hair, his lip curling. "What happened to my hair?!" he grabbed at his clothes, yanking at the white shirt still hanging off him. His Blossom attire. Casey had almost forgotten what the boy looked like as a Serpent. His rough, scruffy red hair and battered leather jacket. He'd gotten so used to seeing KJ dressed like he was attending some posh prep school.

Casey didn't realize he was still grinning, before the boy's eyes flashed. "Can you stop smiling like that? It's creeping me out!" KJ groaned, scrubbing his hands down his face. "Where are Cole and Camila?" his eyes lit up. "Is my dad here? Did he come?"

Casey didn't know what to say. The hope in the kid's eyes was making his stomach flip over. He half wondered what KJ's reaction would be if he found out about their abrupt kiss. Did the redhead really swing both ways? or was that some seducing tactic he'd been taught in Blossom training?

He shuffled uncomfortably. "Cole and Camila aren't...themselves." KJ looked like he might say something, but Casey continued. "All three of you have been mindless Blossom puppets for eleven months," he said. He pointed to the frying pan he'd dropped when KJ had grabbed him. "I snapped you out of it when I bashed you over the head with that." he sighed. "But unfortunately, Cole and Camila are still under Clifford's control."

KJ's eyes widened. "Wait, did I turn seventeen?" he whispered.

Casey stared at the boy. "I...presume so?" he couldn't help choking out a laugh. "That's what you're worried about?"

"Fuck, I missed Christmas too." KJ groaned. "And the new Spyro game release!"

"KJ!" Casey hissed. "Did you not hear what I said? Your Serpent brother and sister have been turned into brainless killing machines!"

KJ nodded slowly. Casey saw the hurt flash in his eyes. "No, I know what you said," he mumbled. "I just can't- imagine them like that." Casey glimpsed the pain in the boy's curled lip. He wanted to give the boy a reassuring pat, or maybe some kind of 'I'm sure they're okay' pep talk. Except- no. Casey mentally cursed Lili. God dammit, he was going soft.

"Right." KJ stuck a hand through his hair, mussing it up. His eyes burned with determination. "What's the game plan, Keller?"

Casey eyed the frying pan still laying on its side. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about how satisfying it would be to clonk Cole on the head, snapping the boy out of it. A small smile spread across his lips, and KJ scowled. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"That creepy smile!"

Casey rolled his eyes. "Get over it, Andrews," he mumbled. Then; "Hey, on a scale from one to ten, how good are your acting skills?"


	12. Brothers

Before.

-

_"Will it sting?"_

_Lili flinched when the needle scathed her pale arm. FP hadn't even started yet, and she was already trembling. She sat up straight, trying to look forward, but it was hard when she felt the pinch of the Serpent man's fingers nipping her skin. FP was giving her a once- over, no doubt trying to find the best place for the snake emblem. What would finally turn her into an official Serpent._

_The crackle of the radio seeping static was the only noise apart from the buzzing of the needle. FP chuckled. He leaned over her, a sly smile on his lips. Lili was pretty sure she had admitted at some point during her training that she was deathly scared of needles. Maybe this was some kind of test to see if she could stomach having a big-ass needle cutting a permanent snake into her wrist._

_"Oh, it'll sting, Lils. But you're a snake now, alright?" FP shot her a smile, his green eyes glinting with a certain madness that used to make her blood run cold._

_Now, however, when she knew so many of the man's kind smiles, his reassuring glances, and the knowledge that he always had her back. It settled her galloping stomach, and she forced a grin back. "I'm not scared of it" she said, with a choked laugh, gripping the chair's armrests. Though the tighter she held on, nipping crescent moons into the flesh of her palms, it became more and more apparent that she, in fact, was not ready in the slightest. FP hummed, his focus on her arm. "I don't blame you though," his lips curled into a smirk. "Cole nearly fainted when he got his first Serpent tat."_

_Somehow, that did make her feel better. She couldn't help smiling, and the man nodded along, grinning at the memory. "He was thirteen years old. Howled like a baby until I was done," Lili winced when FP nipped at her arm, prodding around for the perfect spot. "He made me promise not to tell anyone." FP murmured. "I crossed my heart."_

_"Why are you telling me?" Lili found herself asking. She knew part of the answer already. She was already sure of it by now. She was in love with her Serpent brother, and she wasn't good at hiding it. Cole's father had found them countless times in various questioning positions, very almost falling into each other. But KJ was a cockblock (every single damn time) and they were always interrupted. But FP Jones didn't seem to mind, he only rolled his eyes and yelled at them both to either get to breakfast or run suicides._

_FP shrugged. "Seems like you've forgotten-" he scratched the back of his head. "Hell, even I've forgotten. Cole wasn't always a hard-ass. Once upon a time, he was an orphan sneaking into our house and piggin' out on pizza and cake. The whole shebang." the man cleared his throat. Though she was still trying to wrap her head around his words. They hit her like electric shocks. Cole, as well as KJ and Camila. They weren't Serpent born. Lili swallowed. Orphans. Holy fuck, they had been orphans dragged into Riverdale's underworld. FP didn't notice her sudden discomfort, her pursed lips and dark eyes. _ _"Alright, this is gonna sting." he leaned forward with the needle, eyes sparkling._

_It felt strange being in the Serpent parent's main office. It was cosey, with Fred's desk situated in the middle. Fred and Hiram were out on business, so it was just her and FP. Normally, the Serpent parent's office was out of bounds. But not today._

_There was a fluffy white rug that Lili couldn't seem to tear her gaze from, scarlet stains printed around the wool. Had The Serpent parents killed someone right there? Had they slit some mobster's throat and watched him or her bleed on the very floor she had stood on? Why hadn't they cleaned it up? Lili felt shivers rattling down her spine. "Nice rug," she said, biting back her words when her voice tremored. Maybe it wasn't just the fear of the needle anymore. She regretted the words as soon as she said them, shuffling uncomfortably. She couldn't help think back to when she had been a Serpent hostage, threatened and tied up. Before she had become Lili Andrews, she had been at their mercy. Sometimes Lili forgot about that. She existed because Betty Cooper had been given a choice: She could become part of their family, a new Serpent daughter, or die along with her younger sister Polly, as well as her mother and father. And yet, even when she had been absolutely sure that the Serpent kids were Fred, Hiram and FP's actual children, that KJ bored perfect resemblance to Fred, as well as Camila looked the spitting image of Hiram. Somehow, they too had been dragged into this like her. Only much younger._

_Much more susceptible to control and manipulation._

_She shook her head. No. Cole had hinted at it himself, the night the four of them had gotten drunk. The Serpent's had saved them. They used to look at stars to pass the time, why did she never connect the dots? How could she have been so stupid?_

_"Sure you want this, Lils?" FP's breath was in her face, his voice cutting through her thoughts. "We can postpone it if you'd like?"_

_"Can you just get on with it?" she managed. Then, as an afterthought; "Please."_

_The man rolled his eyes. "Serpents don't say please." he muttered. "Hasn't Fred taught you our lingo?"_

_He hadn't. Which didn't bother her that much. The only thing she was really missing out was something zaney and quirky to say when she had caught a mobster. KJ and Cole did it all the time. But Lili had only rolled her eyes, teasing them for sounding cringy._

_Especially when they added snake puns._

_Lili let out a breath, stiffening in the chair. FP nodded, and she managed a squeak when she felt the needle skate across her skin. Don't freak out. Lili gritted her teeth. She wanted to know about the Serpent kids before they were even Serpents. The thought of them being innocent little kids twisted and molded into killers made her chest ache._

_"Can you tell me about the kids, before they-" she trailed off when a sharp sting spread throughout her arm, and FP shot her a quick smile. "Nothin' to worry about, I just nicked a vein." the man sighed. "I mean, I guess?" he chortled. "Damn, I have stories to tell"_

_"What kinds of stories?" she asked, a little too quickly. It was getting progressively harder to stay in the chair. All her instincts were screaming at her to yank her arm back and make a break for it. The needle was working its way across her wrist, and despite FP smearing numbing gel all over her skin, it still stung like a mother fucking bitch._

_"Well, hows about I start from the beginning?" FP's gaze remained glued to her arm. "Picture this, Lili. Freddie and I had just come back from our latest interrogation. Some mobster's bitch had ties to Cliff Blossom and we had to get it out of her, y'know?"_

_Lili nodded. The man continued. "Anyway. I was starved when I got home and remembered the pizza left over from the night earlier. This huge cheese feast I couldn't wait to start chomping down on," Lili squeezed her eyes shut, not thinking about the stabbing pain in her wrist, but picturing what FP was saying in her head. "So Hiram's parking the SUV and Fred and I go in through the back. And what do we find?" he let out a loud laugh. "Two little kids that I kid you not, look like they had just stepped straight out of that musical Annie. They were skin and bones, Lil. Their clothes hanging off them. This little-redheaded runt with his hands in Freddie's chocolate cake, and then- ah..."_

_He stopped for a moment, and Lili opened her eyes. She caught a splash of green ink on her wrist, already glimpsing the outline of the Serpent tail. She couldn't hide her grin. FP paused to take a swig of water. "That was when I first saw my boy."_

_My boy. There was something about the look in the man's eye; pride and happiness rolling into one. There was no doubt in her mind that FP loved his son unconditionally. She caught the same look in Fred's eyes when KJ won fights against Cole, Camila and even her._

_"That's my boy!" Fred would yell, KJ bounding over to his father with a wide grin, eyes blazing while fist-bumping the man. The redhead usually let out various victorious war cries which made Lili laugh. A little version of KJ sounded adorable. She imagined a younger version, wide eyes, twisted lips, as he threw the first punch in a fight._

_Lili found herself giggling. "What was Cole like?" she asked, and the man rolled his eyes. "a little brat, that's what. He had long hair, almost to his neck, greasy and unbrushed. I couldn't stand looking at it, so I gave him a hat." Lili bit her lip. The very same beanie Cole wore in the present. He never took it off, even sleeping in it._

_"What happened?" she was giddy now, wanting more. Cole had never told her about his childhood, and now she knew why. Maybe it hurt him to go back, revising his past. But she couldn't stop thinking about a miniature ten year old version of Cole Jones, just how his father had described him; a scrawny little kid with long greasy hair and sparkling green eyes. Huh. So there had been a time when his life hadn't revolved around murder._

_"Hmm. I remember the three of them being soaking wet," FP chortled. "After going swimming in the pool, no doubt. We gave them clean, warm clothes and Hiram fixed them some cocoa." he smiled at the memory. "The three of em' just sat in front of us, terrified outta their minds, poor kids," he laughed. "KJ looked ridiculous. He was, what? About ten years old, with shaggy red hair in his eyes, wearing one of Fred's old cashmere sweaters."_

_"And Camila?" Lili murmured. FP rubbed his chin, his lips curling slightly._

_"Little Camila had hair almost to her tailbone." the man murmured. "She was helping herself to our shower when we caught her."_

_FP continued with the needle. "Anyway, long story short, we let em stay. When I saw Cole, It just clicked, y'know? I'd always wanted a son, and Fred's ex Mary had just had a miscarriage. KJ came at the best time for him. Poor guy was in pieces."_

_Lili nodded along to the story but it seemed that FP was getting choked up. He pressed far too much pressure into the needle, and Lili bit back a cry. "Damn, we...we couldn't just kick them out, Lili. They had nothing." it was the first time Lili had seen the man cry. Which she didn't think was possible. FP Jones was an impenetrable fortress when it came to emotion. But his eyes were sparkling with tears, his cheeks turning scarlet._

_He sniffed, swiping at his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve. The needle dug in again, but Lili was used to it. It would only be painful for a few seconds, and she could deal with it. "Fuck, it was the middle of Winter too. They would have frozen to death on the streets."_

_Lili bit her lip. She couldn't even imagine the three of them sitting in the freezing cold, huddled together. The very image made her own eyes sting. The man managed to get a hold of himself, and when Lili risked a glance at her arm, there it was; the Serpent's emblem proudly emblazoned on her wrist. Her skin was bright red, and she could see spots of blood where he had nicked her with the needle. But apart from that, it was beautiful._

_"Almost done." FP patted her on the shoulder. "You haven't fainted yet, which is a plus. I saw my boy's eyes roll to the back of his head before I snapped him out of it."_

_Ha. The idea of Cole fainting at the sight of a needle sent a bubble of hysterical laughter up her throat. FP noticed her smirk. "You good? I'm not hurting you am I?"_

_Lili managed a smile. "I'm good." she muttered. "It- it barely hurts."_

_Lies._

_Now FP was no longer distracting her with Serpent tales, the stinging sensation had returned with a vengeance._

_The sound of the door opening made her jump, and FP growled under his breath. She could barely feel the needle anymore. "Didn't I say no coming in or out?" he shot her a smirk. "Kids got no fuckin' manners."_

_"You never lock your door." a familiar voice quips, and Lili can't hide her smile. Cole. At the corner of her eye, he's standing there- and as usual, he's up to no good._

_"Lil's finally gotten her tat." the boy's teasing tone sets her heart on fire. FP holds out his free hand. "Don't come any closer." he mutters. "I'm not finished yet, and I swear, boy, if you make me spill my ink-"_

_"Relax, dad!" Cole takes careful footsteps, almost as if to aggravate his father even more. "How you doing, Lil?"_

_"Fine." she spits out, and suddenly the boy is kneeling in front of her, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Cole had a freshly split lip, his bedraggled hair sticking up everywhere. Lili cocked her head. "Did you just come from a fight?"_

_Cole scratched the back of his head, wincing. "Maybe." when his eyes darkened, she couldn't help laughing. "Did KJ beat you up again?"_

_The boy rolls his eyes. "I was off my game today." he mumbled, and FP chortled. "Boy, you've been off your game for a while." he prodded Lili's arm and she flinched._

_"Been gettin' distracted, huh?"_

_Cole's cheeks reddened and Lili couldn't resist a laugh. The boy ducked his head, groaning. "Really dad?"_

_FP ruffled his son's hair. "Couldn't resist," he grinned. The door flew open once again, and Lili caught the familiar flash of KJ's red hair. The man sighed. "Does this room have a 'Come in!' sign on it or something? Can't you kids see I'm trying to concentrate?"_

_Cole backed away, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright. You can have her for another ten minutes. She's needed in the gym room ASAP though."_

_FP spluttered. "Excuse me, I'm the adult. I'll dismiss her when I'm finished!" chuckling, he shooed the boy out the door._

_Cole disappeared, along with KJ. Lili winced when the needle hit her arm once again. "Sorry about that Lils." he murmured. "Damn kids."_

_"But you love them, right?" Lil wasn't sure where that had come from. It was like word vomit. FP prodded her arm again. "Love them? Sometimes I want to strangle the little shits."_

_There was a pause, before the man nodded with a thoughtful smile. "But...yes, Lili," his green eyes glinted. "I love em' with all my fuckin' heart."_

  
_-_

Lili wasn't sure what to do. She was trained to attack any threat. Except it was different when the threat was someone she loved. Cole was her Serpent brother. More than that- the first boy she had proper feelings for. The one she had started off fearing, before letting the stubborn walls in her mind come down. Barrier after barrier, falling, until it was just her and him. Lili Andrews and Cole Jones against the world.

Now the boy wanted to kill her.

When he knocked into her, she felt the air leave her lungs. Lili hit the floor, gasping for breath. Cole was on top of her, his eyes wild, teeth stretched into an animalistic grin. She could only stare up at him fearfully. She couldn't fight him. Wouldn't fight him. So Lili did all she could. She lay still, bringing her arms up to shield her face from the punches he aimed to her cheek and jaw.

She could almost pretend they were back in training. Her, giggling, laying on her back as he loomed over her with that smile she fell in love with. Those green eyes she gave a chance. But now she felt his hands around her neck, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing. She couldn't breathe. Black spots danced in her vision, twirling, dancing, spiralling. Lili choked for breath, but the boy held on. His eyes were empty, staring straight through her. Oh, his eyes. They hurt her. Much more than any injury could. The fact that he, like KJ, like Camila, had been taken from her. Had his brain turned to mush and fashioned into a weapon.

His lovely, green eyes. Glittering emeralds she could almost drown in. Hell, Lili could laugh right now. Just as he squeezed the life out of her, she could just die in his fucking eyes. Wouldn't he just love that? The Cole she loved would. He'd laugh at how cringy that sounded, and come out with something cheesier.

"Cole!" she wanted to say. Scream it. But her throat was being crushed. He wouldn't listen anyway. The boy was a Blossom now. Only taking orders from Clifford.

"Lili Andrews," the boy spat, "The daughter of a snake." his laugh was harsh, sending shivers rocketing down her spine. "Serpents are scum," he hissed. "They're a disease." he sounded like he was telling himself this, reassuring himself of the lie that Clifford had fed him. He pressed harder and Lili cried out, struggling underneath his weight.

She was going to die. His mind had been polluted, filled with venom, a burning hatred for his own family. Lili felt tears sting her eyes. Fuck, she was going to die at his hand. Bile burned at the back of her throat, knowing the pleasure probably running through him at the thought of finally killing a snake. Then he'd go on to kill his own father, then-

Then KJ. His own brother. If Camila miraculously came back to her senses- her too. Fred, Hiram. All of them. Every single Serpent was going to die, murdered by their own Serpent son. The boy they'd brought up, turned into the very weapon ready to wipe them from the face of the earth. All they needed were Clifford to tweak them a little, remove the humanity stopping them from going on a murderous rampage. And she was the first.

Gasping, Lili tried to say his name, tried to choke out for the others. But her lungs felt starved of oxygen. Her body felt stiff, wrong. Dead.

"Hey!" KJ's cry seemed to ride on an invisible wind roaring in her ears. "Jesus fuck, do something!" he was ragging at the boy, trying to force the boy off of her. But the animal held on. His fingers were glued to her throat. Cole!" KJ's voice broke. "Get off her!"

KJ. Her Serpent brother's name popped into her foggy mind, while thoughts spiralled, choking along with her. KJ had come back. After everything Clifford had done to him, turning the boy against his own family- emptying him out and filling him back up with poison, converting him into a Blossom. He had come back to her.

Maybe his brother could come back too.

Cole wasn't a psychopath. At least- not to her. Sure, he was messed up. He'd been trained from a young age to be a Serpent son. But like the other kids, he had a soft spot. He had humanity. Kindness. Something Lili never thought when she'd first met him.

But now? Looking at Cole now, Clifford had taken that all away. Everything she'd managed to salvage, the boy he'd opened up to her as, was gone. He was a shell. Lili's heart jumped in her chest. She wasn't dying. Sure, she was choking, but her vision wasn't going black. She didn't even feel dizzy. Was this some kind of tactic? She stared up at the boy, who glared down at her. There was something in his eyes, a gleam she hadn't noticed before. He looked...confused. Cocking his head, Cole let out a breath before loosening his grip slightly and Lili sucked in precious breath, steeling herself on her elbows.

"I can't kill you." Cole's voice startled her, and he let her go. Just like that. Lili sat up, her hands tentatively rubbing her throat. The boy frowned at her, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Why can't I kill you, snake?"

When she didn't answer, the boy gritted his teeth. "Answer me!"

It took her a moment to reclaim her breath. Her chest ached. Her head was spinning. Swallowing the vomit at the back of he throat Lili shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "You're not a Blossom." she managed to choke out. Before the boy could reply, a strong pair of arms were grabbing her gently, yanking her to her feet. For a moment Lili wanted to stay on the ground with him, try and knock sense into the boy. Perhaps she could do it? "No, wait," she hissed, trying to tug herself from the phantom grip clinging onto her. "It...it might not be too late!" she was crying, hot tears sliding down her cheeks. Fuck. But it felt good. After so long of suppressing her emotions.

"Get off me!" she shrieked, her converse sliding on the floor as she fought whoever had hold of her. But they kept a stubborn grip, refusing to let her go.

"Are you kidding? Lili he nearly choked you to death!"

KJ. The boy held her protectively, securing his arms around her waist. "Cole," he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Are you in there?" the boy sounded broken. Cole was still on the floor on his knees, frowning up at them in childlike bafflement. "I couldn't kill you." his gaze flickered to Lili, before he's on his feet, stalking towards them. KJ stumbled back, dragging Lili with him. At the corner of her eye Casey was doubled over, his expression crumpled. The frying pan was still clenched in his fist, but he looked ready to collapse.

"Ready where you are, Betty." the boy gasped. She winced at her old name, but didn't hate it. She thought about the frying pan technique. It had worked on KJ, but what if it didn't work on Cole? They could risk giving the boy brain damage because of a hunch.

"Don't." Lili choked, sagging in the redhead's grip. She gestured to Casey.

"Don't hurt him, not yet." she held her breath. "Only when we know...when we know it's our last resort."

"Lili, the old fashioned tactic won't work," KJ hissed impatiently. "What, you think talking to him will bring him back?"

Casey nodded. He looked like he was fighting a cry ready to rip from his lips. "Andrews is right. The only way is beating the Blossom out of him."

"No." she whispered. Her eyes were trained on the brainwashed boy, standing there like he was on standby. She was determined to drag him back to reality. Back to her.

"No, I can do this." she said. "We- we can do this. We can bring him back."

The redhead spluttered. "And if he rips us limb from limb?"

Lili bit her lip. "Then so be it, right? Isn't that what your dad always taught you, and then me? Try everything?" she raked her mind for the words spoken by Fred Andrews. "When you're on your knees at someone's mercy, try everything. Even if it sounds ridiculous. Even if it's completely-"

"Completely impossible." KJ muttered, chuckling. "Dad really thought he was some kind of modern Yoda." The boy sighed. "Alright, fine. But if he tries anything, he's getting the frying pan treatment."

She nodded. "You can let go of me now."

KJ sucked in a breath. "You sure you can take him?"

Lili didn't reply. But she knew she could. In her training she had beaten him a fair amount of times. She had all the moves memorised, all of his weak spots. Her gaze traveled up Cole's body, highlighting each one. The boy only smiled at her, empty eyes piercing into hers. Lili held his gaze, willing the boy back to her.

The redhead's grip slipped from her shoulders and Lili breathed out in relief. She quickly moved to stand by KJ's side, bringing her fists up. She would use them if she really had to. KJ turned to Casey. "Stand down Keller." he murmured. The boy nodded before slipping to his knees, the frying pan falling with him. KJ gritted his teeth, balling his hands into fists. "Fuck, Lili, you better be right about this."

"I am." she whispered, and he nodded. "Alright." turning his attention to Cole, who looked- confused. Which at that point was better than murderous.

"He looks like a robot." KJ mumbled, raising his eyebrows. "Freaks me out." he ran a hand through his hair. "He's just...standing there."

Casey scoffed, still laying on his side, the frying pan clutched between his bloodied fingers. "Imagine how we fucking felt when there were three of you."

"Can it, Keller." KJ hissed, before his gaze landed on his brainwashed brother.

"Cole." he murmured. "Come on, dude. I know you're in there."

The boy growled, eyes flashing. It was like a switch had been pulled. His empty eyes ignited, turning Lili's stomach. That unsettling smile was back.

Cole took another step towards them and Lili's heart nearly catapulted out of her chest. "How long have you been deceiving our father, Archie?"

KJ tightened his fists. "Get your head out of your ass," he said coldly. "You've been brainwashed, idiot. Clifford Blossom isn't our dad."

Cole looked stricken for a moment, freezing on the spot. "Why would you say that, Archie?" he murmured, his lip curling. "How could you go against your own blood?"

"What?" the redhead looked exasperated. "Clifford turned you into a fucking Blossom zombie, and you're going along with it? You really believe that bastard's your father?"

Cole didn't move. He ignored his brother's words, his lips pursed. His gaze went to Lili. "You're siding with the snake, Arch?" he smirked. "Can't say I'm surprised."

KJ looked taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean? Cole, she's family!"

Cole hummed. "I think you need to be reminded who your family are, Archie."

"Stop calling me that!" KJ growled.

Cole cocked his head to the side. "But isn't that your name? Ever since we were kids, Archie. You've always been Archie to me. Don't you remember? Life on the streets?"

Lili could tell the redhead was losing it. His cheeks were blossoming scarlet, teeth gritted, eyes glittering. "Stop it." he choked. "Cole, you're in a trance-"

"Oh, but you know I'm not." Cole's voice was soft, silky, almost hypnotizing. "You know that you're the one in the trance, Archie." his gaze slid to Lili once more, his lips curling into a scowl of disgust. "Converted by that cretin and her family of vermin."

Cretin. That hurt. Lili couldn't help a strangled sob escaping her lips, and Cole's dark eyes narrowed at her. "What are you looking at?" he growled. His gaze seemed to stray on her wrist where her tattoo was; a Serpent twined around her arm. It meant everything to her. She remembered the day in perfect clarity. FP's stories of how the Serpents met their kids. The boy looked disgusted. "You're a Serpent through and through aren't you?"

Lili swallowed hard. She wouldn't break. KJ quickly defended her. "Leave her alone," he said, his tone splintering ice. "Lili's got nothing to do with this."

Cole shook his head. "She has everything to do with this.", he growled. "She's the one who turned my own brother against me. Against the Blossom's."

Lili felt sick. The boy really believed he was a Blossom. Believed Blossom blood ran through his veins, when in reality he was just an orphan- an orphan turned into a weapon, passed from family to family. KJ was shaking with anger next to her.

"You're not a Blossom, Cole!" He yelled. His brother's words were killing him. Insisting that he was part of a family that The Serpent's had feared since they were kids. KJ looked terrified, pain scrawled across his pale face.

Cole didn't look the least bit fazed. Lili knew of the bond the two of them shared. It was stronger than anything she'd ever have with any of The Serpents kids. Cole only hurt KJ as a tactic, managing to catch the boy off guard. And then after, only after, would the boy apologise profusely and happily accept a punch in the face.

Except not now. Even when his brother looked so close to breaking, so close to falling apart, Cole only rolled his eyes. "You're not going to turn me against my father, Archie."

KJ scoffed. "Believe me, that's already happened, you fucking moron." the redhead turned to her, his expression pained. "Lili, this isn't working."

It wasn't. But Lili was so desperate. "Let me talk to him." she whispered. The boy shook his head. "No, as long as you're behind me, he won't touch you. Just...just stay there."

"Oh, I'll kill the snake." Cole said softly. "I'm just waiting for the perfect moment to take you down, Andrews."

Lili took that as her chance to move forward and KJ let out a soft moan, scrubbing his hands down his face. "How many times do I have to say it?" he spat. "Clifford messed with our heads! He's made you hate your own family, Cole!" before Lili could make her move, KJ grabbed her arm. "Don't." his eyes were pleading. "He'll kill you."

Lili could sense the boy trembling. She nodded slowly, swallowing. His fingernails dug harshly into her arms but she didn't cry out. She had learned the pain-suppressing tactic in Serpent training ages ago. "Listen to me," KJ addressed his brother, before letting her go. He strode towards the boy and grabbed him by his shoulders. Cole didn't try and fight back or attack. He only stared at KJ, with those same cold, empty eyes. "Cole," KJ choked. The boy was crying. "Fucking listen to me, alright?"

Cole huffed out a breath. "Dad's going to be mad, Archie."

"I'm not Archie." KJ said softly, his brown eyes searching his brother's. "I'm KJ, and you're Cole. Not Jughead. We're-" he choked out a sob. "We're not Blossom's. You know FP Jones? the man you've been trained and conditioned to kill? Cole, he's your father."

Lili held her breath and waited for the onslaught. Cole stared at KJ for a long moment, before blinking rapidly. "No..." he mumbled. "No, no...I - I have to kill him."

"No you don't Cole." KJ smiled at his brother, his eyes twinkling. The boy's expression made Lili's heart flutter. The two of them staring at each other, KJ's eyes teeming with hope, while Cole's flickered like the old him, the boy she loved, was trying to break through. "You're a Serpent, idiot." KJ murmured. "Not a Blossom. A Serpent."

"I hope this works." a voice muttered. Casey. Lili turned to find the boy standing behind her. He smiled at her in greeting, waving the frying pan. "Just in case." he murmured. Lili nodded, turning back to the two Serpent brothers.

Finally, Cole looked at KJ, his lip curling a little. "KJ?" he murmured softly as if awakening from a dream. Lili's heart sang. She started forwards, but Casey grabbed her arm, dragging her back. "No, don't," he muttered. "I don't trust him yet."

"What?" she hissed. "Casey, have you lost your-"

The words dried up in her throat when Cole's arms snaked around his brother's neck, and KJ let out a choked gasp. "No!" the cry was stuck in Lili's throat as Cole dragged the redhead backwards. "You're too gullible for your own good, Archie," he rolled his eyes, before his gaze found Lili. "Come anywhere near me and I swear to god I'll gut him."

"Really?" KJ let out a pained laugh, struggling in the boy's wicked grip. Cole's arm was pressed against his neck, trapping him in a choke hold.

"You'll gut your own brother?" the boy gasped, trying to fight back. He shoved his elbows into the boy's chest, but Cole only laughed. "You've gotten weaker."

"Get off me!" the redhead yelped when Cole tightened his grip. His eyes were on Lili. "That's right," he growled. "Like I said, snake. I'll kill him."

Swallowing, Lili took a slow step forward, ignoring Casey's hissed warnings.

"This isn't you." she whispered. "Cole, this isn't you! You- you would never hurt your brother!"

Cole growled like an animal. "Do you want to bet on that?" one of his hands was suddenly reaching into the pocket of his pants and Lili lost her breath when she caught the flash of a silver blade. KJ whimpered. "I swear to god you're dead when you come back."

"Like I said," Cole said, sticking the point into KJ's throat. At the corner of Lili's mind there was a happy thought. Serpent Training. Back when they had fake plastic knives and the Serpent Kid's idea of a fun time was seeing which one could actually draw blood.

The redhead stopped struggling and Cole's eyes were rampant. Not quite Clifford's tame psycho anymore. Since KJ had told him he was a Serpent, the boy had lost it.

Cole pressed the point harder into the boy's throat. " Get away from me or I'll kill him."

"Do it Lili." KJ gasped. "Stay..." his voice croaked when the blade scathed the skin of his neck. "Fuck, you need to get back," he whimpered. When Lili opened her mouth to protest, he let out a frustrated breath. "Fucking do it!" he roared.

"Lili," Casey had hold of her arm, dragging her back. "Lili, do what he says."

Her legs were going to give way. They were shaking as she took a few unsure steps back, nearly falling backwards. Casey had hold of her arm quickly.

Cole nodded when she'd backed away. "Right," he said breathlessly. "Now I just want to know one thing," he said. "if you don't answer me, I'll slit his throat."

"Cole," KJ moaned, struggling under the knife. "You...you don't want to do this."

"Shut it!" the boy growled. "One more word, Archie. Just fucking try me."

"Stop calling me that!" the redhead hissed, gritting his teeth out when Cole dug the knife just that little bit deeper. Lili lost her breath.

Casey didn't let go of her arm, squeezing it reassuringly. He still had hold of the frying pan. Lili eyed it and her eyes filled with tears.

It was their last resort. She nodded at him, and he let out a breath.

"What is it that you want to know, Cole?" Casey asked softly. Calmly. He shot her a look. "This is fun and all, watching Cole threatening to cut this own brother's throat open, and trust me Lil, if I didn't know you, I'd find it hilarious. But right now it's actually kinda fucking upsetting me because you've made me soft, so can we please, fucking hell, can we please just use the god damn frying pan?"

The boy's words came out in a whispered garbled mess. But Lili understood.

"Yes." she whimpered. "But how are you going to get behind him?"

"No fucking idea. I'm just winging it." Casey muttered. When Cole didn't respond to him, he repeated it again, louder; "Hey, asshole! What do you want to know?"

Cole scowled at Casey. "Not from you," he spat. "Her." he glared at Lili and her heart started stampeding. Casey turned to her helplessly. KJ stayed silent, and Lili suppressed the fear eating her up inside. She nodded, swallowing vomit at the back of her throat.

"What is it?" she asked the boy.

She started forwards, stumbling back when Cole shrieked, tightening his grip around his brother. "I said don't come any closer!"

Lili held her arms up in surrender. "I'm- I'm not moving," she whispered.

"Just...just talk to me."

Cole nodded, seemingly calming down. Lili couldn't take her eyes off of the knife still pressed to her Serpent brother's neck.

"There's one thing bugging me," Cole muttered. He finally looked at her, a mixture of confusion, and something she couldn't quite place swirling in his green eyes.

"Why didn't I kill you?"

Lili's chest ached. The boy's eyes were glued to her, the perfect time for Casey to set things into motion. She had to stall. "You tell me," she managed to say. "Why do you think?"  
  
Cole's lip curled. "I'm the one asking the questions. Don't forget that."

Lili nodded. "You're right." she whispered, her gaze following Casey as the boy moved slowly, behind the boy's peripheral. "Did you want to kill me, Cole?"

The boy smirked. "Jughead." he corrected. Lili forced a smile. "Right," she said. "Jughead." 

"Of course I did." he growled, answering her question.

Lili shuddered. She took a step, and before he could freak out, threw her arms up again.

"Kill me." she said, and the boy's expression crumpled. "What?"

"What?" KJ squirmed in the boy's grip. "Lili, are you insane-" the knife jabbed him in the throat once again, not enough to cause damage, but definitely hard enough to slice into the first layer of skin. KJ whimpered, a slow trail of scarlet dribbling down his neck. Lili fought the scream threatening to tear from her throat.

"S- stay..." Cole breathed, tightening his hold around the redhead. "I- I'll kill him!"

Casey was so close. Lili nodded at Cole. "You said you couldn't kill me before," she whispered. She dared another step, but this time Cole didn't move.

"Kill me." she said, and when he blinked at her in confusion, she allowed herself to smirk. The smirk of a Serpent. Camila. KJ stared at her, baffled. His eyes were screaming at her to stop, to get back. But she stayed put. "If you couldn't kill me before, why not-" Lili hesitated when she caught Casey standing directly behind Cole, lifting the pan. "Why not try now?" she whispered softly.

Cole's lip twitched. "Are you teasing me, snake? Because I'll kill you, and then I'll kill this fucking traitor," he grabbed KJ's hair, ragging it back for emphasis. The redhead howled, his teeth gritted. "You asshole!" he moaned. "Fuck, that hurt!"

Lili held her breath. "Just kill me." she said. "There's no catch, I- I promise."

Cole stared at her for a long moment before straightening up. "Alright then." he said. Lili's stomach twisted. "First," she said softly. "Let KJ go."

The boy shook his head, chuckling. "Archie stays with me." he growled. "He is my brother after all."

"Oh yeah, this is brotherly love right here." KJ spat sarcastically.

Keeping her gaze on Casey who was lifting the pan slowly, Lili nodded at him._ Do it._

Except Cole saw. He saw the signal, and her heart hurtled for a moment. Before the pan could smash into the back of his skull, Cole spun around with the knife, plunging the blade into Casey's arm. The boy howled in agony, staggering back before falling on his back. KJ tried to lunge out of the boy's grip, but Cole held on. Lili knew how strong the redhead was, especially when he was riled up. KJ managed to break from his brother's grasp. Then it was like Serpent training all over again. Except this time there was no brotherly love and childish banter. Both of them looked murderous; KJ wiping at his bloody neck, his lip curled in disgust, while Cole smirked at the boy.

"I should have gutted you when I had the chance," the raven head murmured as they circled each other. KJ looked hurt for a moment, before his brown eyes flashed with rage. He threw the first punch, but Cole easily blocked it, wrapping his arms around his brother and wrestling him to the ground. "You should be thanking me," he gasped out, wrapping his hands around KJ's throat. "I'd rather you died here than dad caught you siding with a Serpent."

Kj growled. "You're deluded!" he choked, aiming a shaky hit to Cole's jaw. It was just hard enough to knock the boy off him. He shakily jumped to his feet, panting.

"Ow." Cole scoffed, following in his wake. He absently rubbed at face. "That was actually a pretty good punch, Arch."

"I learned from the best." the redhead groaned, spitting blood. Cole didn't waste any time, advancing towards the raven head, shoving him to the ground with one push. KJ hit the concrete floor with a hiss.

"Lili, help Casey!" He yelled, shoving the boy off him by driving his knees into Cole's gut. The other boy let out a hiss of surprise. "Okay, now you're just making it hard."

Lili was frozen watching the two fight. Casey. Her mind cried. His blood soaked the concrete floor. She eyed the boy, and then the frying pan he'd dropped. "I'm okay!" Casey yelled, managing to sit up, ripping at his shirt with his teeth for a makeshift bandage. "Just, fuck, someone take him down!"

Cole had KJ on his back, pinned down once again. He was scarlet faced, a manic grin, his hand pawing for his discarded knife, while his brother could only stare up at him helplessly. Lili saw red.

Cole was going to stab him. His own brother. She leapt up and dove for the frying pan, grasping it. Every second that went by, Cole's fingers were closing around the knife. One finger, then two- squeezing around the handle...

KJ was dazed, squirming, struggling under the raven head's weight.

"Cole, shit, don't...please don't do this!"

Lili stumbled over to the two of them. Cole twisted around before she could strike.

"Are you serious?" he rolled off KJ easily, flipping the knife and catching it easily. Lili took slow steps back, the pan handle slipping between her clammy fingers.

"What are you going to do with that?" he teased, gesturing to the pan with his knife. Lili could feel tears sliding down her cheeks. "Nothing." she whispered, letting the pan slip from her grasp. It hit the ground with a metal clang.

"You said you wanted to kill me, so kill me."

Cole hummed, cocking an eyebrow. "If you insist." he murmured, moving drunkenly towards her like an out of control train. He came so close they were nose to nose. He held his knife, but Lili didn't even wince. "You're not scared?" he murmured.

She shook her head. "I'm not." she said softly, and he look confused. "Why is that?"

Lili shrugged. "You weren't sure why you couldn't kill me," she whispered. "So what are you waiting for?"

Cole shook his head. "Right." he muttered. "Get on your knees." he said through his teeth, and she obeyed, sinking to the ground. It didn't hurt when her knees collided with the rough concrete. Lili kept her gaze on Cole. She didn't cry, even when her instincts were screaming at her to run. Cole stood over her, and it wasn't the first time. When she'd first been taken by The Serpent kids, what felt like forever ago, he had stood over her as she'd been blanketed by darkness, the incapacitating drugs numbing her limbs, sending her to la-la land.

But now it was just her and him. He had a knife, and she was powerless.

Except...he didn't kill her. Cole didn't lunge at her with the knife, or even tease her with it. After a long moment, the boy sighed heavily.

"I don't get it," Cole moaned before dropping to his knees in front of her.

"It's like I want to, but I-" he scratched his head with the handle of the knife. "I can't." he mumbled. "Why can't I kill you, Lili Andrews?"

Lili was about to reply, before the deafening sound of metal hitting the curve of skull filled her ears, and it was both horrifying and relieving. Cole's eyes rolled to the back of his head before he flopped down, knocking the breath out of her. KJ, who had been looming over them, fell to his knees, dropping the pan. He was panting, his face chalky white. "Well that was fucking eventful." he said, before his eyes lit up.

The same thing seemed to hit both of them at the same time.

"Casey." was all Lili could hiss, before the boy was nodding, pulling her out from underneath Cole, letting the unconscious boy hit the floor with a meaty smack.

"I'm fine," Casey was gasping for breath, sitting on his knees. He'd managed to tear off a strip of his shirt with his teeth. KJ sunk to his knees beside the boy, while Lili stayed standing, her gaze glued to Cole, who was still out of it.

"You're going be okay, Keller." KJ spoke softly, but he was panicking, tearing at his own shirt sleeve. "It's a deep cut, but it's not big. He didn't cause that much damage."

Casey tipped his head back and groaned, panting. "Yeah I'll be spectacular. But you just KO'd Cole about five times harder than I hit you. You've probably fucking killed him."

KJ's eyes were hard. He tightened the rag. "It'll take more than a frying pan to the head to kill my brother." he muttered.

As if on cue, there was a loud groan from the other side of the room, and Lili's heart stopped. Everything inside of her was telling her to run to him, see if he was okay.

"Not yet." KJ said. He stood up, before helping Casey to his feet. "Give it a few minutes, okay? I made the mistake of trusting him last time."

Lili nodded. But as the seconds stretched, turning into minutes, Cole didn't move. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Cole?" she grabbed KJ's arm, dragging him towards the fallen boy. They kept their distance, circling around him as if he was an animal.

When Cole lifted his head, dazed green eyes squinting, he let out a moan. "Oh, fucking hell," he mumbled. "Why do I feel like I've just been ran over by a steam roller?"

Lili wanted to cry. His name was choked at the back of her throat. She was stumbling over to him before she could help herself. Cole sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ow." he mumbled, his dazed eyes flitting to hers. She was crying, but revelled in it. Except he only frowned at her. "Hey there," he smiled uneasily. Lili smiled back, and there were his lips, so soft. So his. Her Cole. Finally. Except something held her back, an ache in her chest. The boy was still staring straight through her.

Something in her gut twisted. "Cole?" she whispered. "Cole, it's me."

The boy hummed. "Mmm," he murmured, his expression crumpled, before he chuckled. "Who is that exactly?" the confusing fog engulfing him seemed to disperse quickly. He was suddenly on his feet, stumbling over his own feet before she could catch her breath.

"Wait, hold on- fucking _ow_," he rubbed at the back of his skull. "Did someone hit me over the head?"

She could only stare at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Blondie?" Cole hissed, before twisting around. "Where am I?" his tone turned fearful, before landing on KJ, who was keeping his distance. His eyes softened. But the redhead didn't make any move towards him.

"KJ, what happened?"

The redhead only shook his head. "You tell me," his voice was ice. "Still want to slice my throat open?"

Cole blinked. "What?" he laughed. "What are you talking about Kage?" he gestured to Lili, then Casey, and then his clothes. "Who's the blonde chick? Is that kid bleeding out?" he tugged at the white shirt still glued to him. "What the ever loving fuck am I wearing?"

"Cole." KJ growled. But Cole wasn't listening, his gaze was bouncing around the room. "Dude, did we do this?" a slow smile spread across his lips. "Are these kids Blossom's?"

"Stop talking." the redhead muttered. Lili watched KJ take long strides towards his brother until they were nose to nose. Cole frowned at the redhead. "You'll get worry lines with all that frowning," he joked. But KJ didn't smile back.

"Dude." Cole waved his hand in front of KJ's face. "Are you okay? You going to tell me what happened?" his eyes widened. "Wait, where's Camila? Where are our dads? Hey! what are you doing?"

KJ wrapped his arms around the boy, burying his head in his brother's chest. Lili couldn't see the boy crying, but the boy was trembling, so either he was crying, or having a seizure. Cole looked confused for a moment, before patting the boy's back awkwardly. "I don't get it," he muttered. "Did someone die? Why are you hugging me?"

KJ only sniffled, and Cole groaned. "Serpents don't hug." he mumbled. But he pulled his brother closer. "Tell me what happened, moron."

"Lili," KJ mumbled into Cole's bloodied shirt. "Lili happened."

Cole lifted his head, and Lili felt like she'd been punched in the gut. His eyes hardened. "Alright, you're the only girl here so I'm guessing you're Lili," he said. His lip curled. "Are you going to tell me why you made my rock hard brother cry?"

Lili held her breath. She couldn't speak. The words she wanted to say were strangled at the back of her throat. Cole couldn't remember her. Most likely short term memory loss from being clonked over the head with a frying pan. Before she could try and coerce some kind of explanation a familiar voice rang out, shooting ice through her veins.

"Aww, a cute family reunion!"

Camila was standing in the doorway, and from the look on her face; empty eyes, that robotic smile stretched across perfect glossy lips, she was still a Blossom puppet. The girl looked startlingly different from the others. The boy's Blossom attire was ruined; perfect white shirts streaked with blood and dirt, KJ's sleeve was torn off, Cole's collar smeared scarlet. The two of them had jumped apart at the sound of her voice, both of them staring dazely at her. They looked like they had been hit by a train.

But still, Lili thought, smiling slightly. They looked like their Serpent selves again; messy hair, split lips and filthy, blood stained clothing.

KJ blinked at the girl. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he muttered. Cole's eyes were wide, his mouth agape. "What happened to her?" he hissed.

Camila, their Serpent sister stood in a perfectly pressed blouse and a pencil skirt, her raven hair in a prim ponytail. She regarded them with an amused smile. "Jughead?" she giggled. "What happened to reconditioning the Serpent girl and the traitor?"

Jughead. The name fluttered around her mind. It wasn't quite as beautiful as Cole, but if it was the boy's birth name- like Cole had said. She would learn to love it.

Cole blinked at her, confused. "Huh?" he cocked his head. "Cami, did you hit your head?" before he could say anything else, KJ grabbed his arm, squeezing it. "She's brainwashed," he hissed. "just like you were. Don't ask why, just follow my lead, okay?"

Lili's heart jumped when the boy glanced at her. She nodded at him, trying her best to smile. "He's right."

The boy scowled at her. "Why should I believe you?" he murmured, raising his eyebrows. "I've only just met you, Blondie."

Lili swallowed hard. His words were like a knife digging deep, deep, deep. She could feel the blade cutting through skin, cartilage and bone. "Just trust me." she whispered.

"Fine." Cole muttered. "But if this goes pear-shaped, Blondie, I won't hesitate killing you." he wasn't looking at her. "I protect my brother and sister only." 


	13. Laughing Gas

_July 3rd, 2017_

_Gladwell Warehouse, LTD_

_5:26PM _

Lili strained against the zip-ties, blood running over the translucent plastic, red on white. Her nose filled with the musty scent of the sack that covered her head and in the almost blackness her eyes strained for some sign of what was to come. It was her first mission as a Serpent kid, as Fred Andrews' daughter, and she had already been kidnapped. But that was to be expected. Throughout her training she had been repeatedly warned that she was constantly in danger of being abducted by random strangers or mobsters who wanted revenge on The Serpents. Except in this case, among others, it wasn't a stranger.

Mary Bates, an old flame of Fred Andrews ran a child slavery ring in Riverdale's underworld, where she snatched healthy orphans from the streets and sold them to the highest bidder. Their assignment was to break into the old abandoned factory where Mary kept hundreds of abducted kids, like lambs to be slaughtered, and shut the operation down. But what they hadn't been counting on, was for the woman to be expecting them.

And That's how Lili had ended up sitting on her knees on cold concrete flooring, tied to her Serpent brothers, zip ties digging harshly into her wrists cutting off most of her blood supply and choking on the mouldy, stale scent of an old sack that had been pulled over her head. So it wasn't her ideal Saturday night. "Well this is fun." Cole's voice was muffled slightly by the sack that had been thrown over his head, which did nothing to mask the amusement in his tone. The boy was acting as if this happened every day to him. Like it was a daily deal. Well, it probably was. He was FP Jones' son after all.

Lili let out a sigh. Which was a mistake, since she only managed to inhale a mouthful of dust, a sneeze tickling the back of her nose. "Fun?" she spluttered, biting back her own laugh. They were sitting ducks, waiting for Mary to come back and probably slaughter them. And the orphans were still trapped in her clutches. If she could rate this mission, she'd give it a 1/10. Considering Camila had managed to avoid getting caught, and still hadn't come back for them. A spider the size of her fist, maybe a mutant spider, she wouldn’t be surprised, had scuttled over her boot. Betty Cooper had been terrified of spiders, and Lili thought she was over Betty, pushing her right into the back of her mind. The weaker side of her. The little girl who was scared of everything. But apparently, arachnophobia still thrived inside of her, and after letting out a squeak, and seeing KJ and Cole’s collected look of -oh fuck- she had been unable to stop herself from shrieking, quickly notifying Mary Bates, their most recent enemy.

Lili struggled violently, suppressing a shriek when the harsh plastic sliced into her flesh. "What part of this is fun to you?"

"I'm with the newbie," KJ spoke up, coughing under the sack over his head. "Cole, how the fuck is this fun?"

"It's Lili." Lili growled. The fact that her arms were tightly restrained behind her back was slowly but surely worsening her mood. Not that it wasn't shitty in the first place. "How many more times?"

"You've been a Serpent for like a week, blondie," KJ snapped back. "I call you Newbie, or Betty. Your choice."

Lili flinched, her old name sending shivers crawling up her spine. She didn't reply, instead stewing in her own fury. She'd come to realise that The serpent kids had two moods; they were either insanely happy, like hyperactive children, or spitting venom like actual snakes.

It wasn't just that she had been lumbered with the bags, because sure, that made sense. She was new. She should be the one carrying the equipment. But the fact that as much as she thought she knew them- the Serpent children- hell, maybe she didn't. It had been six weeks since she'd been taken from her home, and had gone from the Serpent's prisoner, to their reluctant recruit, to- this. Lili didn't feel afraid of them anymore. She had accepted her new name, and agreed to train to become one of them. Because what choice did she have? But she'd quickly come to realise that the others were seemingly completely different kids when it came to assignments. And sure, she understood that. They had to be serious at one point, right? But KJ's shitty mood was slowly driving her mad. He'd been fine at the beginning, but as she got progressively better in training, his attitude had soured. Was it jealousy? Was it because she was Fred's new adoptive daughter? Did he see her as competition, even when they were on the same side? Maybe he was that kind of kid who didn't want to share a parent. Which was ridiculous. He was a trained psychopath and petty. Lili caught his sharp glares when Fred taught her fighting tactics. She'd end up on her back with a split lip, trying hard not to cry. And there he'd be, standing by the door. His red hair a sweaty mess stuck to a perspired forehead, arms folded and chewing his lip, manic brown eyes glaring daggers at her. Hell, if looks could kill.

Cole at least tried to act like she was their sister, but the boy's brother was more wary around her, treating her like she was completely incompetent; "Maybe Lili should stay in the van? Be our lookout?" or "Hey, dude, maybe you should use a training knife?

"Newbie, why not just take your tranquilliser?"

Absolutely-fucking- not! She'd jumped at the chance to prove herself, but it had gone sideways. Because of course it had. Instead of proving to KJ, Fred's other son, who clearly had issues with her, that she wasn't a complete screw up and belonged in the Serpents as much as him, she had landed him, Cole and herself in mortal peril.

She was the reason why they were here, and not safe at home. Lili still hadn't gotten hang of keeping discreet, and had squeaked when that damn spider had come to haunt her, as if it was awakening her weaker side- Elizabeth Cooper - from inside her. Lii had lost control of her instincts, all her Serpent training dispersing, once she'd caught the spindly legs scuttling over her boot. The tiny squeak that had escaped her mouth was loud enough to catch Mary's attention, even when Cole had slammed his hand over her mouth so forcefully she'd lost her breath. And just like that, before she could choke out some kind of apology, the three of them had been dragged from hiding and bound in painful zipties that Lili was really starting to get sick of. She could handle ropes, to an extent. But zipties were sharp like razors, slicing into her skin mercilessly.

From somewhere to her left, she felt a slight shuffling, followed by, "Relax, KJ. She's around." Lili had no idea how Cole could sound so calm given their current situation. As it was, her heart was pounding a mile a minute and she was the reason.

"But where did she go?!" KJ demanded. He groaned, and Lili had a sudden, overwhelming urge to punch him square in the jaw. "Fuck! If Lili hadn't have had eight panic attacks over a spider the size of a speck of dust, we wouldn't be stuck in this bullshit."

Lili was suddenly incredibly happy the sack was over her head, masking her scarlet cheeks. No matter how hard she tried to suppress them, chanting Fred's words in her head; "Never show emotion." Lili couldn't help it. The tears came fast, and she had to bite into her lip to stop herself from letting out a very audible sob. Because KJ would love that. "In her defence, it was a pretty big spider." Cole murmured, with a sigh. "Don't worry about Cami, she's coming."

"And who is that?" a voice sounded -- one that didn't belong to the Serpent kids. Lili stopped crying, her entire body tensing, and she once again struggled against the zipties that cut into her wrists.

Without missing a beat, Lili heard Cole say, "Death's sweet release if I have to inhale the inside of this bag for much longer."

Camila had somehow managed to get away before she too had been snatched, and Lili wondered if the girl had truly abandoned them. It was rule one in the Serpent handbook; No Serpent stands alone, followed by: Never desert a fellow brother/sister. Maybe that's why KJ was so riled up. "Seriously, are any of you wondering where the hell Camila went? What's rule number one?" the boy hissed out a frustrated breath. He was panting, choking on the stink of the musty bag that had been thrown over his head. It wasn't unusual for KJ to act like a dick. Though could Lili blame him? They were trapped in a dilapidated factory, at the mercy of a woman who their parents nicknamed "The Joker".

"Stop freaking out," Cole hissed back, sputtering around whatever substance that had been in the sack that was currently over his head. "You're just panicking, Kage. Remember what your dad said about staying calm. Even if-"

"Even if you're at your wit's end." His brother spat back. "Which I'm at, Cole."

Lili could relate. Her nose wrinkled in agitation, yet another thing to worry about. "She's coming. She's just biding her time -- and fully enjoying the fact that we're sitting ducks while she's not breathing in whatever the fuck's inside these sacks."

"She better get here soon or I'm going to --"

All conversation ceased when an off-tune voice filtered into the barn they were being held in. Lili's breath caught in her throat and she stared hard at the inside of the sack, as though she would be able to see better if she concentrated just the tiniest bit more. But maybe that was the purpose of the sack -- to make them believe they had sight with the light shining through the tiny holes, but ultimately, they were blind.

"Eeny meeny miny moe," the voice sing-songed. "Catch a tiger by the toe."

Lili stiffened at the sudden eerie, childish tone and tried to straighten up. But her back was aching, and it seemed like such effort. She longed to talk to the boy’s, but every time she opened her mouth, Lili ended up choking on the rotten stink of the sack. Her chest burned, her stomach flipping over. Fuck. They really were in for it, and hell, she was completely out of her comfort zone. Serpent training had been hard, but it wasn’t real. At the end of the day, she had Fred Andrews to either congratulate her, or give a long, winded lecture on something she’d missed out on. But Fred wasn’t here. This was real life, and she had no idea what to do. Was she going to die? Because that would be a pretty shitty death. Choking to death on whatever the hell was on her head, or getting a frontal lobotomy. She supposed this was what came with the duties of being a Serpent kid. Death. When exactly had the others come to terms with that? Were they okay, risking their lives every single day, when life is far too short? Did Cole, Camila and KJ even have a choice?

Hold your breath. She thought, squeezing her eyes shut.

The footsteps were getting closer, the click-clack of heels on the concrete floor. “If it hollars, let it go.”

Icy fingers writhed up and down her spine when Lili sensed the woman stopping next to her. The voice continued, morphing into a witch like cackle. “Eeny meeny miny…” she flinched when curled fingers grabbed hold of the sack along with the majority of her scalp. It was hard not to scream, and all she managed was a choked out cry which made her feel even more useless. “Moe!” when the sack was ripped off her head Lili momentarily enjoyed the feeling of a cool breeze fluttering from the open window, grazing her cheeks.

Lili sucked in a lungful of sweet, cool air and her eyes shot open, only to be greeted by a middle-aged woman with bright red hair and large brown eyes. What was terrifying, what really took her by surprise, was the smudges of makeup that coated a layer of her pale skin. Bright splotches of blush with even brighter lipstick that was unevenly shaped around her lips. She wore paint splattered overalls over a striped shirt, heels far too small for her feet were strapped to her bony ankles, probably cutting off her blood supply. The childlike wonder in her eyes vanished the longer she stared at Lili, though. Almost like she was two different people, because even though she was singing a child’s song, there had to be some form of clarity behind her slightly unhinged eyes. How else would Mary Bates be able to put together a child trafficking ring and keep it running for as long as she had been. And she somehow knew they were coming, which meant she had to have planned for their arrival. Lili had just accidentally led her to them.

“Well, you’re not what I was expecting,” the woman said after a moment, the calculative look disappearing, only to be replaced a moment later by that childlike awe and curiosity once again. "I thought for sure Hiram's girl was a brunette." Okay, so Lili was practically the opposite of Camila. While she was vanilla, golden hair, blue eyes and pale skin, Camila Lodge was toffee skinned, glimmering green eyes and dark chocolate hair cascading down her back. No wonder Mary looked taken aback at her appearance.

“Well I'm not.” Lili sputtered, baffled and unable to stop the words from spilling from her lips. One of the main rules of being a Serpent kid was still going through her mind; Never, under any circumstances, must they reveal their identities. Because then? Game over. She heard Cole mutter something under his sack, but the words were muffled by the material. Right now, she had to be Camila. Because if Mary realised a Serpent kid was still loose, she would go on the hunt for their serpent sister, and probably find her. Camila excelled in most of her training, but she was shitty at being discreet. It was only last week when Cole had complained she had ruined a mission after sneezing loudly while on a stakeout. The mobster had gotten away, and the parents had been furious. Lili was glad she wasn't on that assignment, the three of them had returned looking worse for wear, and when questioned by their parents, they'd admitted to having a "slight disagreement." which was the understatement of the century; Cole's lip had been split and he'd been harbouring a black eye, while KJ and Camila looked like they'd been scalped.

It was rare, according to Hiram, but the Serpents kids did fight sometimes. And with them being trained with killer abilities, they weren't exactly playground squabbles.

“Who else do I have here?” Mary giggled, slowly moving toward KJ and Cole. Lili took a moment to check out her surroundings. It was some kind of warehouse with dingy walls. Crates upon crates of boxes were stacked high in unorganised rows, and Lili could only imagine just what exactly would be put into those. There were several catwalks that lined the upper level of the warehouse, scattered streams of light that came from the many cracks and holes in the tattered building. “Eeny, meeny, miney … moe!”  
Lili watched as Mary sauntered over to where she knew Cole was sitting. Now that she was able to see, it was easy to differentiate between the two boys who were kneeling not too far from where she was. KJ was slightly taller, his shoulders hunched inward -- probably due to the rigid position they had been forced into -- and Cole, whose stubbornness had him in an even more uncomfortable position with his shoulders straightened. Mary went to the latter, her fingers curling into the material of the sack, and pulled it.

"Lookie here!" Mary's lips stretched into a grin. Damn, Lili thought, cocking her head. She really was The Joker. "It's FP's boy, Jughead!"

Hair ruffled and a scowl firmly etched into his face, Cole snarled: “I don't know what you're talking about," he said nonchalantly. "I don't know of a Jughead." shrugging in his bindings, the raven head rolled his eyes, his lips pricking into a challenging smile. "Weird name, though." Cole murmured, his nose wrinkling. "Also- might I ask; "What was in those sacks? It smells like the literal dead in that fucking thing."

Lili tried her best not to smile, but it was hard. Cole Jones, the master of deflecting the subject.

Mary tutted and ran her finger along the side of Cole’s face before he jerked away from her. "Tell me the truth, sweetie pie," her voice was sugar sweet, but Lili sensed the poison. She was the shark, and Cole was her prey. Well, they all were. Thanks to her not being able to keep quiet over an insect. "Are you or are you not FP's little shit?"

"I have no idea who that is." Cole replied coolly. "You're wasting your time, old lady."

Mary's expression darkened. "Oh really?" suddenly she was moving towards Lili with practised steps, pulling a blade from her belt. Lili tried to remain emotionless, tried not to let her fear get the better of her like Fred had taught her, when the crazy woman knelt in front of her, pressing the teeth of the knife into Lili's throat. This time it wasn't a training knife, it was real. And hell, it could do real damage. In this situation Betty cooper would start crying, begging and pleading. But Lili gritted her teeth and held her head high. Mary turned to a sickly looking Cole, and Lili bit her lip against a scream. The woman dragged the blade, oh so gently, down her jugular. All she had to do was apply the right amount of pressure, and there would be a bloodbath. "So you wouldn't mind if I slash this little bitch's throat, hmm?"

Cole remained stoic. "Go ahead," he said, albeit weakly, and Lili's heart somersaulted.

Mary chuckled, teasing the blade down the curve of Lili's neck. "I truly am sorry for this, child." she murmured, pursing her lips. "I didn't think your brother would let you die so easily," the woman let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh well!" Lili yelped when she felt the blade slice into the first layer of skin and she squeezed her lips together against another cry. Mary hummed, pressing harder on the knife, inflicting the sharp sting burning as she felt a warm wetness trickle down her skin. Fuck. She fought against squeezing her eyes shut. If anything, that would bring the crazy bitch even more satisfaction. "Y'know, I find the throat quite fascinating," Mary spoke up, spitting in her face. Lili grimaced. She could feel the blood flow progressing from the tiny cut, the sting sending shivers ripping up her spine. Cole was glaring at the woman, teeth gritted, lips curled. He wouldn't give away their identities, and that was okay. Lili knew she wasn't a real Serpent kid anyway. And when it came down to saving her, or his adopted siblings, Cole would always choose them. "they're so easy to slice into!" Mary continued, her bright red lips stretching into a terrifying clown-like grin. "Really, with one simple slash of my hand, a simple movement, I could open her up, bleed her out and-"

"Alright, fine!" Cole snapped, giving up. "I'm FP's son. Is that what you wanted to hear?" leaning forward, his lips curved into a snarl. "Let her go, Discount Harley Quinn."

Mary smiled, satisfied. She didn't move for a moment, the blade still stuck to Lili's throat. "That's all you had to say, Sweetie. How about it, huh? Would you really have watched me slit her throat?"

"Obviously not," Cole rolled his eyes. Lili's chest clenched. She could practically sense the anger radiating from him. She was the reason why he had been forced to give up his identity. Why all three of them were probably going to die. "Let my sister go." Lili knew she wasn't technically his sibling, but the boy's words made her stomach flutter.

"Gladly!" Lili let out a shaky breath when the blade was withdrawn, and she could breathe again. But the stinging didn't disperse. If anything, it got worse. The woman straightened up, her hands on her hips. "The Serpents kids!" rubbing her hands together, she giggled manically. "Do you realise how long I've fantasised about meeting you again?" her lips curled. "When Freddie dumped me after finding out my little hobby, he wouldn't let me see you. And, oh! I've dreamed of the day I'd see you kids again."

"Little bit on the stalker side," KJ quipped, his sarcastic tone muffled under the sack still pulled over his head. The boy's voice was slurred slightly, and Lili wondered if he was either falling asleep, or slowly asphyxiating from the rotten smell of the bag. He cocked his head to the side, the sack slipping slightly. "Mary, it's a true honour to be here in front of an adoring fan." he choked out a rattled cough. "But could you maybe take this thing off my head now? I'm genuinely starting to taste colours and see voices."

Mary chuckled, before swiftly making her way over, looming over the boy and gripping the thin material of the sack. "I presume that's little Archie Andrews under there?"

"KJ, actually." the boy muttered. Mary chuckled, and with one swift pull, she was yanking the stinking sack off of KJ's head, revealing the boy's pale face, glassy brown eyes staring straight through her. Oh, Lili had been right. Fred's son had nearly choked to death. Mary grinned down at the boy, who blinked rapidly, grabbing his bearings, folds of red hair falling over his eyes. It was a look nobody other than KJ Andrews could pull off. Which was definitely a Serpent thing. "Oh, Archie, you've grown up!" crooned Mary.

KJ seemed to snap out of reverie quickly, rolling his eyes to her. "Clearly," he spat sarcastically, his eyebrows knitting together, struggling in his bonds to no avail. He scowled at her. "I was twelve when my dad dumped your crazy child-napping ass."

Mary sighed, wistfully. "I would have been the perfect stepmom," she murmured. "I really did want to try with you, honey. You were Fred's world, and I wanted you to be mine too."

He winced. "I'm good, thanks. Besides, your cooking sucked, and..." KJ sat back, settling Mary with a challenging smile. It still baffled Lili how he, Cole and Camila could smile in the face of their enemy. "You used my dad for Serpent protection. And not only that, you also used The Serpents to get intel on homeless kids you could abduct and sell." cocking his head, KJ mocked innocence. "Am I right, Bates?"

Lili saw the exact moment something twisted in the woman's expression, going from an animal playing with her food, to a full on predator. Glancing at Cole, Lili caught his lip curling slightly, into what might have been a smile. But Mary didn't find it funny- clearly. Lili scooted backwards, releasing a breath when the woman let out a strangled cry, bordering on a hysterical laugh. "I'd watch that filthy mouth of yours before I wash it out with soap," she snarled, yanking the boy closer to her, saliva dribbling down her chin. "Now tell me, Archie. Do you know the meaning behind respecting your elders?" Before the boy could answer, Mary grabbed a fistful of KJ's crimson curls, mercilessly wrenching until a pained yelp escaped his lips. Witch like fingers severely tangled in his unruly red hair that lapped and devoured her hands like blood spilling through her knuckles. "Surely Freddie taught his little psychopath some manners."

"Ow!" KJ's cry sent shivers down Lili's spine. "Get off me, you evil witch!"

Cole sprung forwards, squirming in his restraints. "Fuck, I can't get free!" his wild eyes flitted to his brother. "KJ, don't fight her you idiot! That's what she wants."

"Your brother is a smart boy!" Mary laughed, but didn't relent. She tightened her grip on the boy's curls like he was her own personal rag doll who she was thrilled to play with. "Now, what do you have to say to me, sweetie?"

"Sorry." the boy gritted out, grimacing.

"Hmm?" she leaned closer, her lips pricking into a grin. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"I said sorry!" KJ barked. But Mary still didn't let go. "Say 'I'm sorry, mommy."

"What?!" the boy yelped when Mary yanked him again violently. "Say it, Archie."

"Are you serious?! Ow! That hurts!" Lili could see tears brimming in the boy's eyes. But they weren't tears of pain. The boy was livid, his cheeks blazing scarlet, helpless and humiliated in front of his hard as nails brother, and of course Lili, the rookie. She glanced at Cole for help, but the boy was just sitting in silence, chewing his lip, his cheeks slowly turning the same shade as KJ's. All he could do was watch.

"Deadly." Mary curled her fingers around the fist of KJ's hair, and he whimpered, trying to shuffle away. "Archie, do stop being stubborn and say sorry to your mother."

"Sorry," KJ gritted out, and when Mary yanked harder, he hissed in frustration, and maybe even pain. If he really couldn’t suppress it like his father had taught him. Hell, he was letting his defences down one by one.

"I'm sorry-" he squeezed his eyes shut, curling his lip. "Mom."

Mary chortled. "I do believe I told you to call me mommy, Archie."

KJ grunted. "I'm sixteen years old," he spat. "There is no way in hell I'm calling you that. Feel free to scalp me."

Lili figured she'd hurt him more, but with a low hum, The Joker finally released his hair from her grip, and he slumped in his bindings. "Atta boy. That wasn't hard was it?" she pinched KJ's cheeks, trailing her long fingernails over his jaw. "Oh, aren't you just the handsomest!" she crooned. "Clifford Blossom would pay a great amount to finally be in possession of Fred, Hiram and FP's children," she chuckled, cradling the squirming boy's face. "Maybe I'll keep you for myself, and deliver your siblings to Clifford. After all, what would break Fred Andrews more than finding out his son is in my clutches?"

"No." KJ said softly. "No, there's no way-" he was cut off when Mary placed her index fingers over his lips. "What did I say about respecting your elders?"

The boy kept silent, and ducked his head, cheeks crimson. Lili had barely enough time to breathe before Mary was done terrorising KJ, and turning to her. "You're Hiram's little gremlin, right?" her cold, blue eyes narrowed. "My my, you've changed in five years, haven't you? Did your father go to extremes to hide you from nasty Clifford Blossom?"

"Yes." she found herself whimpering. She was scared. She was Betty Cooper again, and that was enough to break down her defences. Lili steeled herself. "I'm Camila."

"Really?" Mary's uneven brow shot into her hairline. "Hmm. You were a vicious tyrant when we last saw each other," she cocked her head. "And now look at you!" the woman giggled manically. "You're a scared little lamb." Lili flinched when Mary knelt in front of her. "What happened, hmm? Aren't you supposed to be a scary Serpents child?"

Lili chose not to speak. She was supposed to be channelling Camila's evil smile, the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. But she could barely hold it together. Catching KJ's not-very-subtle jerk of his head, Lili figured she should keep her mouth shut.

Cole scoffed. "You're really on a roll," he cut in, his tone deadpan. "Seriously, you should go on a quiz show since your guesses are truly fucking revolutionary."

Mary grinned at him.

“At least you are what I was expecting,” she said, "But your brother and sister have changed a lot, and I can't get my head around it!" Lili couldn’t help but find herself completely unnerved at the way Mary seemed to come and go from ludicy. One second she was a calculated, cold child trafficker, and the next, she was like an adult that never left the mental stages of childhood. It was bewildering and chilling and Lili felt herself stiffen, her sore wrists twisting to find a cinch. “The Jones’ mouth proceeds you.” she curled her lip. "Your father definitely had a way with words."

“Glad to see I make an impression.” Cole grumbled.

“Keep talking and I can put a stop to that. The sack over your head was bad enough - just wait until I shove it down your throat.” The words sucked all the air from the room. Cole looked like he wanted to scream a thousand things at Mary, but Lili was glad he was smart enough to realise when he needed to call it quits. He closed his mouth and clenched his jaw tightly. "You got us, alright?” Cole shook his head and rolled his eyes, staring at the woman like she was someone who had escaped an insane asylum. "Congratulations, you have The Serpents Kids, do you want a fucking parade? A medal?"

Mary let out an exaggerated sigh. "I think that's enough talking," she said. "You kids need to lighten up."

She disappeared for just a moment – a moment in which Lili finally had the opportunity to take a shaky breath, dropping the facade for that split second, because she was sure her heart was getting ready to burst right through her chest – before they could hear the tell-tale sounds of something being rolled in. Lili chanced a glance towards KJ and Cole to see them exchanging an indecipherable look, and she felt her anger spiking for a brief second before the fear settled in again. It was frustrating that they still didn’t trust her enough to include her in those pivotal moments. Where was her glance? Why wasn’t she privy to those silent conversations that were all exchanged by eye-contact? Swallowing down a wave of fear, Lili twisted her wrist once more, biting back a cry when the zip ties cut into her skin. She felt the blood slowly seep into her palm, the sensation causing her to shudder. There was movement in the direction Mary had disappeared to, and Lili could feel the panic start to overwhelm her. No wonder she wasn’t privy to silent conversations and concerned glances – she was the whole reason they were caught to begin with. That fucking spider. It sucked knowing that a spider was the cause of all of this. Her demise – and that of her siblings – was all due to a four legged maggot.

“Don’t scream this time,” a voice said from behind her, and Lili sucked in a lungful of air, suppressing the immediate urge to snap back a comment, because apparently that was how she earned her place amongst her family. And then she blinked and realised exactly who that voice belonged to.

“Cami?” Lili whispered, turning her head in the direction of her adoptive sister, catching a glimpse of her from the corner of her eye. She could feel Camila working out the knots of the plastic ties that bound her wrists together. “What took you so long?” And then she winced, because that sounded ungrateful. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, I just- I just feel like you should have stayed, y'know? Because, uh –”

“Yeah, I would save that breath if I were you,” Camila whispered back. Lili resisted the temptation to sigh in relief when she felt the ties slacken from around her wrists, the blood finally able to flow freely and without resistance. Turning around, Lili threw her arms around Camila, thankful that this mission hadn’t completely gone to shit. The girl’s hug was sweet, and the embrace made feel Lili warm inside. “Whoa!” Camila chuckled. “Someone’s glad to see me.”

“Thank God you’re here.”

“Wanna help us over here?” Cole whispered furiously, attention moving from the doorway Mary disappeared into to where his sisters were blessedly free. “Not to interrupt your cute little reunion or anything, but she's –” Cole trailed off with an annoyed breath.

"Never mind."

Mary returned a few seconds later with a tall, red metal canister trailing behind her. Staring at the canister, Lili recognised it. But when she raked her mind for an answer, it was blank, a confusing mass of fog. She was humming another childish tune, an excited grin on her face. This time it was Ring-a-ring o' roses, which sounded terrifying coming from a grown woman's mouth. Lili gaped and found that Camila was gone, disappearing in the second it took for Mary to come into the room. Not knowing what else to do, Lili resumed her previous position with her hands clasped behind her back. The last thing she was going to do was alert to Mary that she was free of her restraints, especially if it meant a quick response when Camila made her next move in freeing the others.

“Okay, who’s ready for a laugh?” Mary asked, looking at KJ, Cole, and Lili expectantly. She was met with silence, three faces that stared up at her with blank expressions. Lili bit down on her bottom lip, eyes wide, terrified that at any moment, Mary would realise she was free. But – thankfully – that wasn’t the case. Like most of her interactions, her attention immediately drifted over to KJ, the smile on her face widening all the more. Still holding the canister, she squatted in front of the redhead, who frowned at her.

“Do you want to know what one shark said to the other as he ate a clownfish?”

“I –” KJ started, glancing over at Cole, who met his eye with an unimpressed look. “No …”

Mary squeaked, giggling manically. “The shark says, ‘This tastes a little funny’!”

KJ opened his mouth to speak before closing it, an incredulous look on his face. “Yeah, I can’t see you getting a Netflix special anytime soon with those pathetic excuses for jokes.”

Cole snorted, grinning at KJ. “Now that’s more like it.”

Mary harrumphed before grabbing the mask that was resting on top of the canister. She twisted the rigging and took a few steps towards KJ, who’s posture immediately stiffened at the sight of the mask, the light coloured gas seeping from the holes. “You’ll respond better once you have some of this.”

“I’ll pass …” KJ said, moving himself as far back as he was allowed. The childlike expression on her face darkened, and Lili held back the growing panic that was building inside of her, willing her to react and not sit still, but she remained strong. Camila wasn’t ready yet. She would know when Camila was ready –

But her thoughts came to a standstill when Mary turned her sights away from KJ and locked her focus on Cole. Within two strides, she was right there, pressing the mask over his mouth and nose. KJ shouted and started struggling, but he wasn’t going far, and Lili – despite having no clue what the hell was taking so long – started looking around frantically, trying to figure out where Camila was and why she wasn’t doing something already! When her attention returned to Mary and Cole, she almost rolled her eyes at the look on Cole’s face, the superior ‘I’m-better-than-you’ expression that was becoming an all-too common look whenever the boy was facing off with an enemy. KJ was shouting at Mary to stop, but Cole looked calm. He was holding his breath, and Lili had no idea how long that’d last. Unless he harboured magical fish powers she didn't know about, he might be able to last a minute, or less. Lili did have an advantage. As well as her regular Serpent training, she also had the years of holidays in Indonesia with her family, back when she was little. She remembered being submerged in the Indian ocean, her hand pressed over her mouth and nose, her eyes squeezed shut when her older brother Charles challenged her to a competition.

Lili had pushed one and a half minutes. With her added training, she might be able to stretch to two minutes. But then, fuck, she was screwed. Lili allowed herself to take an experimental deep breath, holding it silently. But she was panicking too much, her chest straining. Lili wasn't in the Indonesian ocean anymore. Instead she was stuck in an abandoned warehouse, kneeling on cold concrete at the mercy of the Joker's wife. With a family that had been forced upon her, strangers who were suddenly her siblings.

Rolling her eyes, Mary growled, “Why are you being so stubborn?” And then, forcing the mask firmly over Cole’s mouth and nose, she hit him in the throat. Whatever air Cole was holding was immediately released, his eyes widening as he reflexively sucked in a lungful of air. The harsh glint in Mary’s eyes subsided, being replaced with that gleeful ease. It was terrifying how quick the transition was. One second she was hitting Cole right in the throat, and the next, she looked like she could have been setting up a tea-party between herself and some dolls. “That’s it. There we go. Deep breaths.”

“Crazy bitch! Stop!” KJ snarled, thrashing against his restraints. And Lili – she had her hands clamped together, nails digging into the palms of her hands, because once again, she found herself frozen. “Stop!”

When Mary finally removed the mask from Cole’s mouth and nose, he immediately started coughing, eyes watering slightly due to the hit to the throat, and the effects of the gas.

“Cole?” Lili called, her voice sounding tiny to her own ears. “Are you okay?” she couldn't help it. Lili's only experience with nitrous oxide was when she'd had had her wisdom teeth pulled out, and her mother had insisted she had apparently been convinced the world was ending.

“How do you feel?” KJ demanded, shooting a deadly glare in Mary’s direction. "What did you do to him?"

Mary clapped her hands together again, like a demented seal. "You'll see!"

“I … fine?” Cole’s brows furrowed. He cocked his head. “I don’t feel any different.”

“Let’s test that, shall we?” Mary winked at the the raven head, a wide grin on her face, before leaning towards the boy, who didn't back away. He stared back at her, baffled.

“Why did the skeleton hit the party solo?" Lili glanced at KJ, who looked like he was about to be sick. In the long dragged out silence that followed, Mary giggled at Cole, waiting for the boy's reaction. But he only stared back at her, blinking rapidly.

"Because..." Mary giggled "he had no BODY to go with him!”  
  
There was silence for a full ten seconds before Cole snorted out, a shocked sound that came out completely involuntary, but it was out regardless. A look of alarm crossed Cole’s face. “Oh, shit.”

Mary threw her head back and laughed. "Oh no, don't fight it!" she hissed, before pressing the mask over his face again. This time he didn't try and hold his breath, or even struggle. "Deep breath again for me, sweetheart." eyes twinkling with madness, The Joker cleared her throat, removing the mask. KJ swore loudly, and Lili didn't dare look in his direction. This was all her fault. "What do you call a bear with no teeth?"

"Don't answer her!" KJ whined. "Oh fuck, fucking fuck! Cole, you're high on laughing gas, weren't we trained for this? hold your damn breath!"

Mary twisted around with a triumphant smile. "It's a little bit late for that, honey bun," she said, and the redhead's eyes ignited, lips curling into a snarl. "Now wait your turn, son."

The raven haired boy lifted his head up, vacant eyes, and an even more vacant smile. "I dunno," he spluttered, slurring slightly. "Whaddya call it?"

"A gummy bear!"

"For fuck's sake!" KJ struggled violently. "Laughing gas? That's your big plan?!"

But the damage had already been done. His brother was thriving on the gas, glassy eyed, foggy minded, and doubling over with laughter. Lili had to admit that the boy's laugh was beautiful. Even if it was drug induced. Cole didn't laugh a lot, so this was a spectacle. For all the wrong reasons. And worst of all, was that was his laughter was contagious. Lili's lips pricked with a smile, no matter how hard she tried to stop herself, going as far as biting her tongue. But the more Cole laughed, it became harder and harder to steel herself. The boy reminded her of a hyena, his shoulders writhing, body quivering as he laughed. But it wasn't just the fact that the boy was laughing, why KJ's expression was twisted. Cole's barriers were down. He was loopy, and if Mary wanted to, she could ask him anything, and hell, he'd sing like a goddamn canary and tell her everything.

Wrinkling her nose, Lili caught the sweet scent of Nitrous Oxide tickling the back of her throat. "Cami?" she hissed, twisting around. But Camila was nowhere to be seen. Lili was free, which was an advantage. But there was also a lunatic woman harbouring a canister of gas. So as much as she wanted to dive from the bonds, and tackle the woman, Lili had to stay low-key. Besides, Camila was probably hiding in the shadows, ready to strike.

"Lili." KJ's voice startled her slightly, rising over Cole and Mary's combined laughter. "What does your father think of me, Juggie?" she asked, and the boy shrugged, giving her a wide smile. "He thinks you're the scum of the earth," he giggled, tipping his head back and blowing his hair out of his face. "Speaking of the earth," Cole swayed slightly, but seemed to be enjoying it. "I'm pretty sure I can feel it spinning around its axis."

"But it's so wonderful, isn't it Jughead?" Mary exclaimed, and he nodded far too enthusiastically, leaning forwards. "SO wonderful, Mary B!"

"Lili!" KJ snapped again, and Lili was broken out of her trance, turning to meet the boy's scowl. There was something about Cole on laughing gas that made her feel warm inside. Even if he was completely lucid on mind altering substances. "Back pocket." KJ growled, and when Lili frowned at him in confusion, he rolled his eyes. "God dammit Lili, wake up! You got us into this shit, so the least you could do is help out." the boy shuffled uncomfortably. "Listen carefully, okay? There's a pen knife in my back pocket," he said quickly. "You need to get it for me and I'll do the rest."

"Archie, sweetheart, it's your turn!" Mary sang, and KJ hissed. "Scratch that, you need to do it."

"Do what?" Lili's chest clenched.

"You need to take her down."

"But..." she was about to say, "what if I'm caught?" but Mary seemed far too preoccupied battering a still completely- off- his head Cole with questions. KJ let out a breath. "Dad says she's got a fake eye," he said through gritted teeth. "When we were kids, he took it as a symbol of betrayal. That's a glass one. Get the knife out of my pocket, aim and fire. That's all you need to do Lili. It's not fucking rocket science."

"What?" she squeaked. Now wasn't the time to take offence to his jabs. "You want me to take her eye out?" dread filled her, panic twisting her gut. She was the worst at knife throwing out of all of them. "But weren't you going to do it? I'm- I'm not even-" she trailed off, the words "a serpent" choking in her throat.

The redhead groaned. "There's a reason why my dad chose you," he said. "Besides, since you nearly took out Hiram's eye in training, this should be the perfect mission for you."

Lili opened her mouth to protest, but the boy's eyes flashed dangerously. "You don't have a choice!" he growled. "It's either that, or we take turns choking on nitrous oxide."

When he put it like that...

Nodding, Lili tried to act like she wasn't scared out of her mind. KJ was a few feet away, so it would only take shuffling over to him, grabbing his knife, and returning to her original position. Scanning the place for Camila, her heart dropped a little. Still no sign of her Serpent sister. "Okay." Lili whispered. "Okay, okay, I can do this."

Lili held her breath and let her arms relax, before lowering herself onto her hands and knees, shuffling over to the redhead. She didn't dare look back. If Mary caught her, she was dead. Knees grazing the concrete, Lili pushed herself across the ground, scraping her hands on jagged rock. Where the hell was Camila, had she been caught? Why wasn't she saving them? But the longer the thought pulverised her mind, she understood. Camila's main objective was to shut off the gas. She was probably waiting for the best angle to strike from. It didn't take long for Lili to reach a squirming KJ, quickly rounding the boy. She automatically went to grab his restraints, but he shook his head. "No, don't bother!" he hissed. "Just get the knife, and take care of Mary. I'll free myself."

Lili swallowed, nodding. She stuck her fingers into the boy's jeans pocket, letting out a breath of relief when her fingers wrapped around the plastic of the knife.

Sticking the knife into her own back pocket, Lili resumed her position. In good time too, because Mary was eager to move onto the next Serpent kid. She left Cole still giggling, nodding his head to an invisible tune in his foggy mind, and grabbed the canister of gas. KJ sent Lili a panicked glance. "Now!" his eyes screamed, but The Joker was dancing over to him, screwing Lili's chance of making her move. Mary knelt in front of the redhead, who looked helpless. For the first time in the short time she'd known him, KJ Andrews looked like he didn't have a plan, like he truly was at loss what to do.

Mary was smug. "What do you think Jug? Should your brother lighten up too?"

"Hell yeah!" Cole grinned wildly, nodding so much Lili was sure he was going to give himself whiplash. "Arch is being like..." he blew a raspberry. "A total Debbie downer."

"Lili." KJ moaned, when The Joker's attention left him for a millisecond. The boy leaned back as far as he could, panting, his brown eyes slitted. "Hurry the fuck up!"

But she couldn't move. Something inside her had stopped, both her body and mind turning to molasses. The knife was still clenched in her sweaty grasp, but she couldn't bring herself to use it. Mary brushed strands of red hair from KJ's forehead, smiling brightly. "I'm not stupid, baby," she murmured, and Lili flinched when the woman jerked her head of crimson curls at her. "I know your little blonde friend isn't Veronica Lodge, and despite grilling your sweet brother on the subject, he hasn't exactly been helpful."

KJ's eyes hardened. "A lot of things can change in five years."

Mary cocked her head. "I mean sure, sweetie pie!" her fingers fiddled with the dial on the gas, and the boy's eyes widened. "But you kids truly are insulting my intelligence if you think that I believe that Hiram's little girl magically changed her ethnicity."

"She's my sister." said KJ coldly. His voice was splintered ice. Part of Lili wondered if his words had a second meaning. Especially when he practically snarled the word "sister".

Mary rolled her eyes, before grabbed the mask. "Fine. Lets see if you change my mind when I tell you another of my little jokes."

The boy shook his head violently, snarling. "Put that thing near me and when I get out of these bastard ties, I'm going to ram it so far down your throat-" he yelped when she grabbed his hair again, ragging it. "Such a filthy mouth!" Mary sang, pressing the mask over the boy's mouth and nose. He struggled, inhaling deeply to hold his breath, but she wrenched his hair again, forcing him to let go. "You have your father's venomous bite."

KJ glared at her, his brown eyes murderous. "If you think I'll crack like my brother, you're sorely mistaken."

"Such a little fighter!" Mary choked out a laugh. "Now tell me Archie; Why did the witch's lose their baseball game?"

"Go to hell." the boy spat. The woman's smile only grew wider, and Lili's stomach twisted at the familiar hissing noise. KJ squeezed his eyes shut, choking out a cough when he had to breathe it in. Mary giggled, cranking up the dial. "That's not a very nice thing to say, honey."

"Hey Mary B, don't hurt my brother," Cole moaned. Lili's lip quirked. The boy's incoherent babbling was entertaining. "He's a nice guy, trust me. I- m- mean sure, he's an asshole in training, but he and Cami-Cami chameleon are all I've got, y'know?"

"I'm not hurting him Jughead!" Mary looked defensive, sputtering. "I'm just telling him a joke."

Cole frowned at Mary and raised his eyebrows, before blinking, another blinding smile taking over his lips. "Hey, you know, Mary could be your actual mom, Kage. You- you've both got pale skin, and hair that..." trailing off, the boy looked confused for a second at his own words. "Uh- you've both got hair that looks like, like- liiiike- uh, it looks a hell of a lot like fire." he chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "I like fire."

At that moment, Lili was torn between being terrified of KJ's fate, and incredulous at Cole's words. She'd never met this side of him. Sure, Cole could be sweet. He could tell jokes, and make her laugh. But to be completely hopped up on laughing gas, a grinning, giggling fool? She wasn't sure if she totally hated him like this.

"You are very right, young man," Mary said, sitting back and admiring her handiwork. KJ was staring dazedly at her, his mouth slightly agape. "Now, I'll ask you again. Why did the witches lose their baseball game?"

The boy shrugged, and Lili wanted to scream. It was such a small gesture, but to her- it meant the boy, despite his best efforts, had cracked.

Mary chortled. "You'll love this one! It's because their bats flew off!"

Cole snorted, and that seemed to be the catalyst, because for a moment, it looked like the redhead was sober. KJ blinked at Mary for a moment, before coughing, and then the cough turned into a splutter, which progressed into a laugh, ripping out of him, muffling against the mask. The fight went out of his eyes, instead turning glassy, a sparkle growing in his pupil. Mary squealed in delight, beginning to remove the mask. But a scoff rang around the room, one that Lili recognised. She lost her breath, scanning for Camila, but she was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately for her, Mary had heard her loud and clear.

"Veronica Lodge!" jumping up, Mary's childish eyes darkened into something a lot more deadly. "I took the liberty of allowing some gas to escape, so don't bother hiding, sweetie, you'll come out soon enough."

Oh shit. Lili pressed her lips together and held her breath. Cole and KJ were still in lucid fits of laughter, and she was 800% done with this damn mission. Camila coughed loudly, squeaking, and Mary darted drunkenly towards the noise. Lili saw her chance. She didn't think she'd have a better one than this. Jumping up, she rushed over to KJ, who was still doubled over, roaring with laughter. "It's okay!" she gasped out, tugging the mask off his face, revealing that shark grin she was all too used to spread across his lips. It was the smile the boy had greeted her with when they'd first met.

Lili bit her lip. She could taste the air, a tangy sweet curl in her throat, poking at her defences. It wanted to get inside her, to turn her into a giggling fool. And if Camila was caught too, she was all they had. "I'm going to save you guys."

The boy stared stared straight through her, laughing. "You?" he spluttered. "You couldn't do one simple thing! All I asked- ahh, all I asked was for you do one thing, Lili! And you still screwed it up!" Apparently, this was the funniest thing the boy had ever said, because he collapsed into giggles, echoing his hysterical brother. Lili couldn't control her actions. Maybe the gas was choking her mind too, because before she could fully understand what she was doing, the palm of her hand was scathing the flesh of his cheeks, with an audible slap. But to her annoyance, the boy barely noticed. He continued giggling, swaying forwards and backwards like a child. Lili's first priority had been to untie the boys, but maybe they might be more help if they stayed restrained.

"Just hold on," she whimpered. "I'm- I'm going to shut it off, okay?"

KJ narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you trying to take my dad?" cocking his head, he choked out another laugh. "Do you really think you're better than me?"

"What?" Lili swallowed hard. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he hissed. "You think you can just waltz in and steal my dad?"

KJ's words probably came from deep in his heart, brought to light from the gas, but they still fucking hurt. Lili swallowed a cry of frustration and turned to the canister. "How-" her hands pawed the metallic casing, searching for some kind of dial or off switch. "How do you turn it off?!" she squeaked. The instructions printed in white underneath a yellow WARNING triangle were a different language. Something snapped in her mind, the gas, snaking into her thoughts. Lili shook her head, gritting her teeth.

There was circular dial with the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 going anti-clockwise. That controlled the gas, so where- oh! Lili's wandering hands hit a sharp lever on the side, and the hissing stopped, a cocktail of relief flooding inside of her. "Yes!" she couldn't resist a smile, and when she turned to the boy's, they were still giggling to themselves, staring at her blankly. Totally out of it. Getting to her feet, Lili nodded at the two of them, and there was something blooming inside of her. Victory. She'd finally done something right. Rubbing it in KJ's face was appealing, but the boy was on cloud 9, so she'd leave her boasting to later. "The effects of the gas should wear off soon," she said hurriedly, planning her next moves in her head. She had to get close enough to Mary to plunge KJ's knife into her fake eye. "So can you guys just stay here and keep quiet?"

Cole shook his head like a child, struggling in his bindings. There was no way of getting through to him, especially when he was as high as a damn kite. "No way, I want to help!" he groaned. "Let me kick fire lady's ass!"

"Oh Jughead, and to say you were my favourite!" the voice sent tingles down Lili's spine, and suddenly the knife felt incredibly prominent, sticking out of her jeans pocket. She slowly turned around to find Mary standing, with a squirming Camila. The woman's bony arms were wrapped around the Serpent girl's neck, blocking her windpipe, clammy hands gagging the girl's muffled cries. Mary's lip twitched. She was barely fazed by Camila's struggling. "So if this is Veronica Lodge, then who might YOU be Baby Doll?"

Lili shook her head. "Nobody." she said softly. "I- I'm nobody."

Mary's eyes narrowed. "Nobody, huh? Hey Archie, what's this blonde nobody's name, sweetheart?"

"Lili." the boy answered automatically, giggling. "She's family."

Mary crooned. "Oh, isn't that sweet! Fred's adopting strays." she tightened her grip around Camila, who had stiffened in her arms. "Now, Lili, how about you be a doll and switch that gas back on! We have so much to talk about before I finally hand you over to Clifford Blossom. There's a good girl," she grinned, her eyes growing manic.

"Turn it back on, sweetie."

Lili shook her head slowly. "No." she said softly. At the corner of her eye, KJ's head kept drooping, and Cole had stopped laughing. His eyes were still glassy, but he was blinking, shaking his head rapidly. She prayed he was coming out of it. Mary hummed. "Okay, lets try that again. Turn the gas back on, or I break your sister's windpipe." the woman dragged Camila backwards, grabbing tufts of her hair and pulling violently.

The girl squeaked, but didn't cry out.

Camila stared back at her with wide eyes. The girl subtly shook her head, and Lili had been ready to try and fight back. But then an idea blossomed in her mind. It wasn't the best of ideas, and sure it could go wrong. But what choice did she have? Lili raised her arms in surrender before moving towards the gas and kneeling in front of it, making sure her movement was slow, careful not to raise suspicion. "That's it!" Mary's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Just hit the lever, honey! We have so much more to talk about!"

Hitting the switch, the hissing started up again. Straightening up, Lili reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the knife. It felt- right in her hands, her fingers melding to the handle. Turning back to face Mary Bates, Lili squinted at the woman, calculating the trajectory. If she threw it in a perfect line, it would take her eye out. But if she screwed up she was in danger of hitting Camila, still in her grasp.

She was at least at medium range. In training, they'd had proper throwing knifes, but KJ's pen knife would have to do. Ignoring Mary's spurt of hysterical laughter, Lili wrapped her fingers around the blade. Three fingers. She remembered Fred saying. "Always use three fingers, to better your momentum."

"Oh this is grand!" Mary snaked her arms around Camila with a challenging smile. "Go on then! If you can take my eye out, sweetie, I'll let you all go home."

"Really?!" KJ's head snapped up, his voice full of childlike excitement.

Lili bit her lip. If she fucked this up, she really was done for. She raised her arm, still clutching the blade. "Just so we're clear," her voice quivered. "I take your eye out, and you'll let them go?"

Mary nodded smugly. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Because I'm almost sure a scared little lamb like you will fail, and hit your sister instead. How about we make a deal? If you hit me, sure, I'll get you all go. But if you fail, I hand Jughead and Veronica to Clifford Blossom, and keep Archie all to myself."

Lili hissed out a breath. "Sure." So be it, right? She tightened her grip around the blade, wincing when Camila squeezed her eyes shut. So Cami didn't trust her either, but she could live with that. After all, Lili had been the one to get them into this mess.

"Hurry up child!" Mary hissed. "I haven't got all day!"

After doing it a thousand times in training, releasing the blade was almost second nature. Lili channelled as much power as she could into the throw, watching as the glimmer of steel zipped through the air like a bullet. She was so used to watching the knife zip past her target, but this time it made impact. Lili was only looking at Camila, her eyes burning, throat choked with apologies already. But what she wasn't expecting, was for the raven haired girl to fall forwards when the arms around her neck went limp. Camila hit the ground with a gasp, and Lili was frozen, her heart beating so fast she was sure she was going to hurl. Mary was right. She hadn't took her eye out. Instead, the knife's handle was lodged into the woman's forehead, having met flesh, soft and pudgy, and made a satisfying squish as the tip of the blade sank deep enough to cause some serious damage. There was a pool of crimson already pooling around the entrance point and Lili felt bile burn the back of her throat when Mary's expression went slack, her wild eyes going glassy and vacant, before her body fell backwards, hitting the ground with a meaty, but strangely satisfying smack. There was a silence, before it dawned on her. Especially when Mary Bates didn't jump back up to lunge at her like an animal.

She was dead.

She'd killed someone. Her. Betty Cooper turned Lili Andrews had killed the crazy bitch threatening to kill her friends.

"Bulls eye!" Cole broke the silence with another lucid laugh, KJ swiftly joining in with a hysterical giggle. "Ew, gross, you got her in the head! You totally pierced her brain!" he hollered, and Lili surprised herself when a smile graced her lips. Because a landslide of emotions was hitting her at that point, and it seemed better, stronger, to laugh and not cry. But then, oh fuck. The canister! Panicking, she started to whimper something along the lines of "the gas" but her words were jumbled, coming out as mumbled gibberish.

"I've got it!" Camila was shutting off the gas quickly before letting out a breath of relief and enveloping Lili in a hug. She was so warm, smelling of mango perfume, her embrace safe, and a thousand times better knowing they were no longer in danger. “Okay," Camila said slowly. "That was...that was fucking awesome!" The girl pulled away, grinning wildly at her. "Didn't my father fail you in knife throwing training?"

Lili shrugged. "Fred gave me private lessons," she explained, watching the girl kneel behind KJ, untying her brother. "I've got KJ, can you untie Cole?" Camila smiled brightly at her, and Lili nodded, hurrying over to free her Serpent brother.

"Dude, I think I love you." Cole said, when she started undoing his restraints.

"Sure," Lili rolled her eyes, smiling. But her cheeks had gone uncomfortably warm.

"No, I mean it!" he said enthusiastically, like a toddler. "I mean it," he said softly, his voice collapsing into a low murmur. "I mean it."

"Just take deep breaths," she told him, yanking the boy to unsteady his feet. Cole stared at her with dilated eyes. "Whoa!" he grabbed at her hair, marvelling at strands slipping through his fingers. "Holy shit, you're like Rapunzel!"

Camila, who was holding her other brother up, who was gazing at her with a wide smile, and not much behind the eyes, shot her a smirk. "Welcome to the world of loopy Cole."

"This has happened before?" she whispered, and the girl grinned. "When he had his tooth out he sang "100 bottles of milk' all the way home, and I nearly killed him." Camila's lip twitched. "He's never admitted his love for anyone though, so that's a first."

When the two boys were free, both of them struggling to walk, Camila pulled out her phone. "I'll call daddy and explain the situation," she said. "Can you babysit these morons while I go and scope out where Mary was holding all those kids?"

Lili nodded dumbly. Everything seem to pass in a confusing blur. She ended up spending an hour trying to convince the two boys that the tooth fairy wasn't real, and when they slowly started to snap out of it, they both went deathly silent, and left her to her own thoughts. It was when they were back at home, after a full report of the incident, and a dozen homeless kids had been checked over and sent to Riverdale's orphanage, when Lili was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, staring hard at the COFFEE and TEA jars on the countertop and trying not to think about the way Mary's body had jolted, like she been shocked. When a familiar mop of red hair appeared, and her chest clenched. KJ was freshly showered, damp strands of his hair plastered to his forehead. The boy wore Star Wars pyjamas, and Lili was trying to figure out what the character on his shirt was called (Yoda?), when he cleared his throat, quickly grabbing her attention. He stood in the doorway, his lips pulled into a lopsided smile, brown eyes speckled with exhaustion. As soon as they'd gotten home, KJ had retired to his room without a word. Though really, they all had. Camila and Cole had disappeared together, and Lili had napped for four hours, waking up when Fred waved a bowl of his famous Mac N cheese in her face, smiling expectantly. Lili had eaten three bowls, washing it down with hot chocolate.

"Could you grab me a soda from the refrigerator?" KJ’s voice was a little croaky, no doubt from the gas. Fred had made sure to force feed the boy cough medicine.

"Sure." Lili wasn't in the mood to argue, and the boy clearly had a lot to say earlier, so it was best if she got him his damn soda, and then he leave her to continue staring into the void. Lili was halfway to the refrigerator, when the boy moved towards her quickly. At first she thought he was going to hit her, but instead he was wrapping his arms around her quivering form, burying his head in her shoulder. Initially, she didn't know what to do. But the boy smelt good. She inhaled the rich scent of shower gel and tangy cologne, his musky scent tickling the back of her throat. "I'm sorry," KJ said softly, and then he said it again, his voice breaking; "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Oh." she said softly, before KJ pulled away. The boy's eyes were puffy, his cheeks scarlet. This was the first time she'd seen him vulnerable. "I was a complete dick, and hell," he laughed a little. "I guess I got a little jealous of your potential."

Lili smirked. "You were jealous of me? The rookie?"

The boy raised his brow. "You single handedly saved us today, Lili." he said. "If you hadn't have taken Mary down, we'd all still be there choking on our lungs. I think it's safe to say that you're not a rookie anymore." KJ's gaze slid to the ground, and he scratched his head awkwardly. "About the things I said..."

It was her turn to smirk. "Which one specifically?" she folded her arms.

The boy shuffled uncomfortably. "When that crazy bitch gassed me, I was under the influence. I didn't mean what I said." his tone was sincere, and so soft. Lili couldn't believe this was happening. For four weeks now, she had been convinced the boy was going to slit her throat in her sleep. "As for in general," KJ cleared his throat "I was a total ass and I understand if you, uh-" he let out a sigh, shrugging helplessly and ducking his head. "I'd understand if you don't forgive me, because I was really shitty."

Lili nodded. "Yes," she said, unable to hide her smile. Part of her was enjoying see him squirm. "You were." she teased, and when the boy looked like he was about to burst out crying, she threw her arms around him, pulling him into an awkward hug. He stiffened for a moment before melting into her, and it was the first time in a while she felt like she had a brother again. Lili let out a breath. "Thanks for apologising for being a dick."

He snorted. "You're welcome? Is this forgiveness?" KJ pulled away from the hug with his usual boyish smile. "I really am sorry. You deserve to be here, in this family."

That was was all she wanted to hear. They were still hugging when Cole walked in ten minutes later, heading straight for the locked wine cabinet. He paused in the doorway for a moment, his eyes lighting up. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes." KJ mumbled, and Lili couldn't resist a laugh. "Go away."

Except the boy didn't leave. He joined them, wrapping his arms around both Lili and KJ, letting out a soft sigh. Lili wondered if he was still feeling the effects of the gas.

"I love you guys."


	14. Like a Switch?

Maybe it was the way she sounded or the desperation in her eyes, but her heart broke all the more when Cole looked away, a frustrated look on his face. “Fine,” he muttered. “But you better hope this doesn’t go badly, because I won’t hesitate in killing you. I protect my brother and sister only.” Despite the harshness of his words, Lili found herself nodding once more before turning her attention to the situation at hand – more specifically, Camila, who had yet to move a single muscle since she had walked into the room. There was a coy smile on her face, like she was privy to something the rest of them weren’t, and it had a sliver of fear racing through Lili, because she knew exactly what she was capable of. She’d seen it in KJ earlier, and she had first-hand experience of the power and strength and speed when Cole had attacked her and then KJ.

This was something else, though. While Cole had been quick brutality, there was a stealth to the way Camila moved, as though she was well-aware of each step, each placement of her feet, as though she was aware of exactly where she wanted to be in that room. And Lili knew she wasn’t the only one to feel the gentle shift in the room when Camila took a step closer, her attention flitting across the four of them before resting on Cole once more.

“Jughead?’ She raised a perfectly manicured brow, lips twisting into something soft, something teasing. Lili couldn't help wonder if, while the two of them were Clifford's puppets, they gotten close than they'd like. Cole stared back at the girl, as if she'd just grown a second head. His lip was curled with distaste, eyes narrowed.

“Why are they free?” Camila demanded, in that smooth murmur. A tone so different to her Serpent hiss. At his lack of a response, Lili glanced across Cole to find KJ already staring at her. His eyes flicked over to Camila before he returned his gaze, and Lili already knew what he was thinking, because that had run across her thoughts too. They had to keep Camila in the room, had to keep her from getting the attention of Clifford Blossom’s men. Because then what the hell would they do? KJ and Cole were still disoriented, Casey was ready to collapse. Against the Blossom's, they would almost definitely lose. The silence that stretched out was like white noise ringing in her ears, and Lili waited for Cole to speak. But he didn't. Seeing no other option, and catching KJ's look of alarm, she shoved Cole in the arm, startling him from the dubious look on his face. Automatically he snarled at her, and Lili forced herself not to snap at him. He wasn't himself. This wasn't the Cole she knew, the Serpent brother she loved.

“Um,” Cole stumbled, looking slightly alarmed as Lili and KJ slowly started inching away from him. He clenched his jaw and found the amused, teasing expression on Camila’s face gone. “I’m moving them... out of this room..." he trailed off, looking lost. "I mean, uh- yeah. I'm-" his lips moved, as if he was testing out the words. "transferring them to another room, because..." Cole cleared his throat. "Clifford Blossom's orders."

Lili sucked in a lungful of breath as she watched Camila narrow her eyes, cocking her head to the side as she took in Cole’s words. She tried not to think about the look KJ flashed his brother, his eye wide, lips twisted, as if to say; "What the hell was that?"

Camila didn’t appear to believe him at all, but Lili was beyond grateful when Camila took a few steps closer into the room, moving closer to Cole, who immediately took a few unsteady steps back himself. Lili bit her lip and wondered if he’d be up for what was to come. As it was, he looked moments from collapsing. Then again, he didn’t look nearly as bad as Casey did, and Lili felt a sting of guilt for not being able to do much for him now. Blood seemed to cover more skin than not, and his body was battered and broken, but he was still there, still fighting. Camila raised her brow. “There are no orders to move them, Juggie, so do you want to try that on me again?” And then her lips twisted into something teasing again, almost sultry. “Or are we going to make a game out of it?”

“A –” Cole started before cutting himself off, wincing, his hand coming up to rub against his temples. “Um …” Lili found herself slowing to a stop, concern and worry racing through her body at the way Cole screwed his eyes shut, almost as if he was in pain. A glance at KJ found that he was feeling the same thing, but then something hard passed over his expression. He glowered at her, eyes burning, and Lili understood, gave a nod, but hated it nonetheless as she continued moving, finally getting into position. “Shit.”

When Camila took another step towards Cole, that’s when Lili and KJ moved as one, quickly closing the distance, and grabbing a hold of Camila’s arms, twisting them so they were placed behind her back. For her part, Camila only sighed in frustration, her eyes rolling before she glanced between the two of them, and Lili forced back a shiver of apprehension at the unimpressed look they were given. “Seriously?” she questioned, deadpanned.

But no-one deemed her a response. KJ had half his attention on restraining Camila while the rest was on Cole, who was crouched down now, both hands rubbing at his temples. His fingers were shaking and he was breathing heavily.

“Cole?” KJ called, worry clear in his voice, as well as frustration, because he couldn’t exactly do anything. At least, not in that moment. There was Camila to sort out and then there was the escape part, which they hadn’t even begun to hash out yet. “Hey!”

“Yeah. I hear you.”

“Casey.” And she hated doing it, hated to make him move, to push his body past the brink of his limits, but what other choice did they have? They were severely cut off and they needed to make do with what little resources they had.

“I’m on it,” Casey replied, grunting as he pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against. But before he could even take a step forward, Cole was standing, swaying slightly before righting himself, and Lili didn’t miss the way Camila stilled, ceasing all struggle. “You stay the hell away from me." he let out an incredulous laugh, but wasn't smiling. “Has anyone fucking forgotten that he’s the one that put us here?”

Casey rolled his eyes. "I saved your ass!" he hissed. "You wouldn't be standing there, hell, Andrews wouldn't have his mind back, if it wasn't for me."

Lili had to force herself not to snap at her friend. Sure, Casey had figured out the frying pan technique, but it wasn't the time to rub it in their faces, especially Cole, who had just woken up after a year being a Blossom puppet. Her heart bled for him. Not just for forgetting her. Because yes, the pain was still there, a constant aching in her heart that didn't seem to go away. But the boy looked truly terrified of what he'd woken up to. She could only imagine how scared, how fucking horrified he was.

“Cole –” she started to say, half hoping that something would ignite in his eyes- a glimmer of recognition. But there was nothing. He stared straight through her, because she was a stranger to him.

“No!” Cole exclaimed, and Lili bit down on her bottom lip to the point of pain, her senses on high alert, her heart racing in her chest, because they couldn’t do this right now. God, any moment a passing guard or one of Clifford Blossom’s men could hear them and come to investigate the sound. Hell, the man himself could just happen to waltz in.

“What the hell is going on?" he finally snapped, tears welling in manic blue eyes, that Lili was relieved to see thriving again. He yanked at the crisp white shirt hanging from his slim frame, pulling the collar apart. "Why am I wearing this?" he demanded, his tone a childlike whimper. "Which sick fucker dressed me up in this? I can’t – I can’t remember …” He looked on the verge of hyperventilating and Lili wanted more than anything to rush over to him and wrap her arms around him, because she hadn’t been able to do that in so long. The last time she had held him, she hadn't known it had been the last time. And it had been such a simple hug, an embrace Lili couldn't let go of, replaying it in her head. She could almost smell the tang of his cologne, feel his heart through the cotton of his shirt again, as well as her own emotions going haywire, her brain urging her to kiss him...just kiss him... kiss him! But back then, she'd been too much of a coward, scared of his rejection. Except looking back, did rejection look like a half smile and shining eyes? No, of course not. She was just scared. Always scared. But not now.

Lili wanted to wipe away the worry on his face, the confusion, the pain. But she couldn’t. And that hurt more than anything. “I don’t remember what happened to me …" Cole clawed his fingers down his face. "Where's my dad? Fuck, I don't know, I can't-"

“Cry me a river," Casey cut in, grimacing. He was in pretty bad shape, but still had his head held high. "Jones, my heart fucking bleeds for you, really. You should go into theatre production because your crocodile tears are A star. But can we please deal with the situation at hand now?” He demanded, a fine layer of sweat coating his skin. He was running on fumes now, and it was only a matter of time before he lost his steam.

“Shouldn't you be dead?” Cole growled at Casey, trembling fingers clenching tight into balls at his sides. Along with his memories of Lili, was the reconciliation he'd had with the boy at his lowest moment, before his mind was cracked open. The conversation he and Casey had shared when Cole was in his cell, the two of them finding solace in each other, was gone, and only rational anger lingered. “You're a Blossom. You were the one who took us in the first place, so why, pray tell, don't you have a bullet in your fucking skull?”

Lili would have much rather Casey not say anything at all, but her old friend snorted and came to a stop a healthy distance from where Cole was standing. Which was smart on his part. The lack of blood hadn’t made him stupid and foolish. He laughed with no humour. “You don’t remember anything, yet you have the amazing ability to remember the fact that a year ago I was a Blossom? Yeah, that ship has passed, or have you already forgotten that you were supposed to take me to get my mind wiped a little while ago?”

And Lili really wished Casey hadn’t said a fucking word, because Cole stumbled back, his face immediately morphing into absolute shock. Her heart started breaking as Casey’s words registered with Cole, all the colour draining away, leaving him as white as a sheet. From the other side of Camila, Lili heard KJ let out a soft whimpering sound, his breath turning ragged, and that feeling of helplessness came over her again.

She couldn’t do anything, and now was not the time to do this. They’d have time when they were far away from this place, back home, back where they were safe and had time to recover, to heal. “A year?” whispered Cole, bright blue eyes finding KJ’s before he looked at Camila – before he finally looked at her for an answer.

She found her eyes filling with tears, a painful lump forming in her throat, and she found that all she could do was nod her head. Cole didn’t remember it and neither did KJ, but Lili hadn’t forgotten. Every single day was agony, filled with reminders that left her gasping for breath, that left her in tattered pieces for hours before she finally pulled herself together. Despite FP and Fred giving up, despite their attempts to get her to let it go, let them go, she couldn’t. Their Blossom selves were still fresh scars in her mind; vacant eyes and twisted smiles, their words spitting at her like, well- ironically, like snakes. Lili thought she'd lost them, had been convinced her Serpent brothers were gone. And now she was finally there and she had them, they were so close –

Camila surged into action with incredible speed. Lili had no time to react before she was ramming her knee into KJ’s stomach, her head was being yanked forward, followed by  
a sickening cracking sound reverberating, pain blossoming behind her eyes, and then she was lying on the ground, her vision doubling and then tripling, the furniture in the room shifting and contorting and disappearing from view before coming back into distorted focus.

KJ wasn’t moving from where he was just a few feet away, and Lili opened her mouth to speak, to say something, but all that passed through her lips was a groan.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Camila snarled, baring her teeth as she glowered down at Lili. It was a terrifying image, especially since there was not one, but three Camila's dancing above her. “Stupid bitch!” She straightened up and slammed her foot into Lili’s stomach, causing her to let out a sharp cry, eyes squeezing shut against the pain in her ribs. Through slit-eyes, Lili watched as Camila fixed her hair and pulled out a phone from somewhere, fingers dexterously working over the screen as she turned her attention to Cole. “Don’t worry, Juggie. I’ll get this all sorted out.”

It was Casey who realised what was happening before anyone else, and he was the one to make the first move. Lili had no idea how he was able to move as fast as he did, but he had lunged forward with the frying pan clenched tightly in his hand. He swiped at her with the frying pan, and Cole let out a shocked cry of alarm, but Camila easily shifted her stance and dodged the blow. Unfortunately for Casey, the lack of blood and his momentum left him vulnerable for attack, and before Lili knew it, Camila slammed her fist into the space between Casey’s shoulder blades. He crashed into the wall, his head smacking against it. Lili struggled to move, but her vision had yet to settle and her ribs were screaming in protest.

But before Casey’s body even settled on the floor, Cole was moving, and this time, Camila didn’t try to evade. Unease flickered inside of Lili, her gut twisting uncomfortable, because she knew that Camila could have dodged Cole. His movements were sloppy and unstable, and with good reason. He was knocked in the head with that frying pan twice before he was cognisant, and Lili was sure that he was dealing with some form of a concussion. He was wavering on his feet and he appeared to be having a hard time focusing on what was going on. So for Camila to know all of this and not move when he ran into her, knocking her down on the ground, it left Lili baffled and alarmed.

But, like every issue that had sprung up on them, now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Shifting to where she was lying on her stomach, Lili pressed her head against the floor, willing her vision to centre already. She was no good if she couldn’t see properly, and she was in an even worse position if Camila got the upper hand on Cole, which seemed like a pretty definite possibility.

“KJ,” Lili forced out through gritted teeth. She felt like crying in relief when she heard him make a moaning sound. Good. So he wasn’t knocked out. “Get up," she managed to gasp out. Her mouth felt puffy, and when she ran her tongue over her upper lip, she tasted the unmistakable tinge of rusty quarters. She gathered herself quickly, forcing the words from her throat. Get up, KJ.” her voice grew more frantic when he didn't move, only staying sprawled out on his back, dazedly staring the ceiling, unblinking.

The sound of Camila’s laughter chilled her to the bone, and Lili struggled to orient herself to the scene before her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Camila was toying with Cole. Probably because she was. She was squirming under Cole, a smirk on her lips. Cole had his knees pressed into the ground on either side of Camila’s hips, his hands struggling to gain purchase on her wrists to keep her from batting and shoving him. It was the look in Camila’s eyes that had Lili kicking at KJ with her foot, urging him to get up already, because it seemed as though Camila had Cole exactly where she wanted him.

Cole was losing quick, too. Each quick movement Camila made seemed to slow him down, as though he was having a hard time computing, as though he was unable to counteract the sudden change in position. She was reaching for the phone, and Cole scrambled forward, almost knocking himself off of her in an attempt to swipe the phone away from her reach. Another ring of laughter filtered through the room, and Camila reached up and wrapped her fingers through raven hair, tugging at the strands. Cole gasped out and ripped her hands away from his hair, shoving down at her shoulders to keep her in position.

“KJ!” he called, sounding strangled, already completely out of breath. “Any time now!”

“Get up, KJ! Cole needs you now!” Lili looked behind her to find KJ slowly lifting his head. But he was moving too slowly – not that she could blame him, either. Camila had smacked their heads together with a strength she didn’t know her sister possessed, and she could still hear a ringing in her ears. “Cole-”

“Why are they calling you Cole? Your name is Jughead,” Camila’s voice rang out. Despite her relaxed posture on the ground, Cole hadn’t taken his eyes off of her, and with good reason. She looked too comfortable where she was laying on the floor, her dark brown hair fanned out like a halo. “What did they do you?”

“I–” Cole tried, but the words seemed to have failed him. He furrowed his brows, bright blue eyes wavering and unfocused, and when Camila shifted under him, her hips jostling him, Cole almost lost his balance and fell off of her. And when he quickly glanced over and locked eyes with Lili, she felt her heart thrum erratically. “Get him up!”

Lili’s first instinct was to crawl over to where Cole was. He looked like he needed more help, and they would all need more help if Camila made it back to her feet. All four of them could barely stand on their feet now, and it wouldn’t take much for Camila to gain the upper hand on all of them. She stumbled to her knees and made to close the distance between her and Cole, but Cole snarled at her and leaned his body over Camila’s, as though covering her from whatever Lili might do. She found herself frozen, her expression awash with shock and hurt, because did Cole truly believe she would hurt her own sister? The very idea had her stomach roiling uncomfortably.

“Cole –”

“I didn’t ask for your help, Blondie! Get KJ!”

And there was no time for this. As much as it fucking hurt that Cole rejected her help, Lili couldn’t dwell on that, couldn’t let it get to her. Maybe later, when they were as far away from the Blossoms as humanly possible, when they were safe with Fred and FP, recovering and healing. For now, Lili forced herself to turn around and made her way towards KJ, who was still splayed out on the floor. He must have taken the brunt of the hit when Camila smacked their heads together.

When she finally got over to him, she felt like collapsing beside him. The carpeted floor was like the waves of an ocean, in constant, ever-changing motion. She felt pulled in different directions. Logically, she knew Cole was right – KJ was stronger than she was and, with Cole’s added strength, they should be able to keep Camila contained. Hopefully. But it was hard to ignore the sounds of Cole struggling as she moved farther and farther away. Cole needed her and it hurt that he didn’t want her help. The stubborn part of her didn’t really care, she would help regardless of his bitching, but the logical side won out. Forcing her presence on Cole wasn’t going to help him remember. Whatever Clifford Blossom did to him, to Camila, they would figure it all out when they were with Fred and FP. Back home. Lili's eyes stung at the thought. Oh god, it had been so goddamn long.

“KJ?” she whispered, coaxing him out of whatever delirious state he was currently in. His head was up, but he didn’t seem to have any idea what was going on, his brown eyes flitting around the room, like a moth to a flame. Lili furrowed her brow when she got a good look at him. Her angle was off and KJ’s head was cast downward, but she could have sworn she saw his eyes … glow? Or maybe not glow, because that was too strong of a word, but there was something about them that seemed off to her. It was almost as if there was a light, a bright piercing blue, writhing sapphire, that shouldn't have been there, was in fact alive in his pupil, dancing around his iris, and Lili lost her breath for a second. She swallowed hard. “Hey, KJ. I need you to get up. Cole needs you. Now.”

The boy blinked and shook his head, as though shaking away cobwebs before he looked up at her. It must have definitely been a trick of the light, because the boy's eyes were fine now. “Huh?”

He was struggling as much as she was, but the boy seemed a little more in control of his bearings. He snapped his head to the side when he heard Cole let out a shocked, strangled sound of surprise, and Lili gasped when she saw that Camila had gotten her hands free and currently had her hands on either side of Cole’s head, pulling him closer to her. She was whispering something to him, and with the way Cole’s eyes widened in surprise, his hands now on either side of Camila’s head, it was certainly leaving an impression.

“… And you know that. Deep down, they’re going to hurt you. Jug, Archie's been compromised. They've turned him against us!” Camila was saying, and Lili felt her heart stuttering, because no, no, that was everything they didn’t need right now!

“Shut up –” Cole started, going to shove her hands away from him, but Lili watched as something flickered in Camila’s eyes. She then grabbed the back of his neck, anchoring him in place, preventing him from moving. “Camila –”

“My name is Veronica and you, you are Jughead. My brother," she let out a hysterical giggle. "The son of Clifford Blossom! Remember?”

"What?" Cole struggled to get away from her, but the girl held on. Cole adapted a look of fright. "Camila, what the hell are you talking about?" he whimpered, which was just enough to blow his cover. The girl's expression hardened. "I should call our father," she said softly, before letting him go and pulling a fancy looking smartphone out of her skirt pocket, her ruby lips curving into a smug smile. "He'll know what to do."

"No." Cole said, then a little louder. "Camila, are you fucking kidding me?" before she could put the phone to her ear, he threw a punch, which she quickly blocked, grinning maniacally. "Juggie, what happened to you?" Lili was almost mesmerised by the girl's reflexes, managing to obstruct every punch. Cole was better, faster, stronger. But Lili could tell his emotions were getting the better of him. "Camila," he gasped out, as the two engaged in awkward hand to hand combat. "What the hell happened to you?"

She booted him in the gut, and he yelped, falling flat on his back. "What's happened to me?" she giggled, resting a heel on his chest. "You should be asking yourself that question, sweet brother." when Cole jumped back up with a snarl, tackling his sister to the ground, she easily squirmed out of his grip, flipping him over and straddling his legs. Lili lost her breath. Camila pinned the boy's struggling hands as Cole stared up at her, betrayal and pain flashing in his eyes. She studied him, perfectly manicured nails trailing over his forehead. She cocked her head. "You've been interfered with," she said softly, brushing strands of raven hair from his eyes. Cole flinched, but his gaze didn't leave hers. "You need to be reconditioned, our father’s orders." the girl's fingers lingered over his left temple for far too long, and he let out a sharp squeak. "Our brother has turned against us and has messed with your head, Jug.”

"No," KJ groaned, from his place still sprawled on the floor. "It's the other way around, actually." the boy struggled to get up, but he kept dropping, as if his puppet strings were being cut, severed, like him. His expression was creased with pain. Lili’s heart splintered when he hit the ground for the third time, gasping for breath. He couldn’t get up. "Cole, she's been brainwashed, you idiot. You need to get away from her, or I'm telling you, man," he panted, hissing out in pain. The knock to the head really had screwed him up. Though it was weird. Lili hadn't had any last side effects except from feeling a little dizzy. By the way KJ kept rubbing gingerly at his temples, made it seem like he was in agony. "She'll kill you- or recondition you. Whatever the fuck that means."

Cole, to Lili's surprise, laughed. It was more of an incredulous titter on the edge of hysterics. "Recondition? What is this, Westworld? Camila, are you hearing yourself?" he struggled under her weight. "Snap the hell out of it!"

Seeing the developing disaster, Lili turned to KJ, dragging him up off the floor. The boy was unsteady on his feet, but steeled himself. "Keller," he grunted, shooting Casey a look. "Have you still got your little toy?"

"Always." Casey held up the frying pan, the ghost of a smirk on his bloodied lips. "Are we thinking the same thing, Andrews?"

Lili was in awe with the way Casey crawled back to his feet, his limbs shaky and his complexion pale and clammy, but he was still moving, albeit the abuse his body had been given. It was almost funny how he hadn’t let go of that frying pan the entire time they were in that room. From the time KJ and Casey had entered that room to free her, that frying pan had been clenched tightly in his fingers, and Lili never imagined she would love that thing in her friend’s hand as much as she did in that moment. But the second Casey lifted it and started moving towards where Camila was with her brother pinned down on the ground, she never expected the reaction that she got from Cole, who's head snapped up, lips pulled back in a snarl that sent Lili's heart tumbling into her stomach.

“No! Don’t!” Cole shrieked, and it was all Camila needed to know that there was an attack coming her way. When Casey swung the frying pan at her head, Camila was ready to duck easily, swiftly avoiding impact. Lifting one of her legs from where it was originally on either side of Cole’s hips, Camila swung her leg at Casey, swiping his legs out from under him, causing him to crash down to the floor. But her actions had momentarily distracted her, causing her to release one of Cole’s wrists, and when she turned back to look at him, Cole lashed out and stuck her across the cheek, his punch knocking her out instantly. She landed beside him, and despite his concussed state, Cole was scrambling onto his knees, his body once again framing hers. “What the hell was that!?”

"It's the only way she's going to come back!" KJ gritted out.

"What?" Cole spluttered. "You think the answer is potential fucking brain damage?"

“Do you think I want this done?” KJ demanded, swaying on his feet, but the dizziness and confusion seemed to finally be passing, because his eyes seemed sharper, more focused. "Do you honestly think I like cracking my sister over the head with a fucking frying pan?" he took a pained breath, squeezing his eyes shut. “Cole, you have to understand that it's the only way to snap her out of it. Because if not, well-"

“This has to be done,” Lili interrupted, because - for what seemed like the millionth time - they didn’t have time for this. They didn't have luxury to talk. The serpent kids were coming back, slowly, awakening from their trance like states. She just had to get them back home to their parents. She winced. There was too much noise, too much activity, too much of everything, but of them leaving, escaping like they were meant to be doing. This shouldn’t be taking as long as it was, but the minutes were adding up and they hadn’t even left the room yet. Lili was itching to just leave, to go home and cry into her adoptive father's chest. Her heart was so heavy. “Cole, believe me, I know -”

“Believe you? I don’t even know you,” he growled, and Lili felt her temper reach the absolute max. He turned back to the redhead, blue eyes ignited. “KJ, this is our sister!" he gestured wildly to Camila, who looked so peaceful, so beautiful, raven hair spread around her like a halo. "Are you seriously condoning this right now?”

Lili’s attention shot over to Casey, who was once again struggling to get back to his feet - struggling, and failing. Her heart dropped when she saw the beads of sweat trail down the sides of his face, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. There was tension on his face as he strained to get himself into a more stable position, his back pressing against the wall as he glared at Cole. If looks could kill, she was sure that Cole would have burst into flames. “How the fuck,” Casey hissed out in pain, “do you think you’re coherently thinking on your own right now? It is because of this frying pan," he waved it menacingly, "that you’re even making these stupid decisions! Do you honestly think you could just snap yourself out of it, Jones? Clifford did some major fucked up shit to your head! The only way of unravelling it is giving you guys a brutal knock to the skull."

When Cole shot him a glare, the boy shrugged. "It worked on you," he said. "It worked on Andrews, who nearly fucking killed me." Casey's lips formed a small smile. "To be honest, Jones, I don't like you. I don't like your family, and I can only just tolerate Andrews. The only reason I'm here is because of Betty. If she wasn't a Serpent I wouldn't give two shits about either of you. So trust me, if I wanted to kill her, I would have done by now." the boy didn't look scared of Cole, or even wary. Cole glared at him.

"Casey." Lili muttered in warning, and the boy sighed. "Whatever. He needs to know."

Lili unwound her arm from around KJ’s waist, confident that he was able to stand on his own two feet without faltering. "Casey's right," she said softly, trying hard not to grit her teeth. "Cole, if there was any other way -”

“Again, you’re not family and this is none of your concern, Blondie!” Cole barked, sending her a warning look. A warning look that Lili promptly ignored as she closed the distance between them, staring down at him with a disgusted look on her face, because she was tired of being talked down to my him. Regardless if he remembered her or not, she was clearly there to help him and his siblings, so the least he could do was show her some respect. She folded her arms. “It is my concern if I am risking everything to be here. Look around, Cole. We are literally breathing borrowed time, so back off me, okay? We need Camila back, the real Camila. Not this mindless Blossom prototype.” every word hurt, like a needle in her heart. But it felt good to stick up for herself, after so long of having her heart played with by Blossom Cole. He was the boy she loved, and his memory had shattered, every piece of her dispersing into nothing, ground into dust.

His eyes were like glaciers as he glowered up at her, bright blue irises burning brightly. His chest was rising and falling with quick succession, and Lili was curious what he was he was thinking as he stared at her, because there was no sense of familiarity in his gaze. He was looking at a stranger, and it once again struck her, that pain, that utter sadness, because she hadn’t stopped looking for him. The thought hadn’t ever crossed her mind to stop looking for any of them.

And then just as suddenly, his eyes slid from her and landed on KJ, who hadn’t moved from where he was standing. “A blow like that could kill her, man.”

“And yet you’re still alive,” Casey snarked from his place against the wall. Cole’s head snapped in his direction, his cheeks flushed with his anger.

“Believe me, I will be getting you back for that.” And then his eyes flickered over Casey’s body, at the blood that had his clothes sticking to his body. “If you don’t die all on your own, of course. You look like you've just come out of a meat grinder."

"No thanks to your brother."

“Enough,” KJ hissed, moving over towards Cole, but then slowing down when he saw the way Cole instinctively hovered over Camila, and Lili furrowed her brows all the more, because there was something about the way he moved that had her feeling wrong, off. But then KJ crouched down a safe distance away from them, a firm look on his face. “We don’t have time for this.” Understatement of the year. “I would never intentionally do anything to hurt our sister--”

“Then why are you now?” Cole interjected. Immediately after the words left his mouth, his face contorted in pain, eyes squeezing shut, and he lifted his hand once more, rubbing his fingers over his temples. Lili bit down on her bottom lip. They really needed to go. None of them were in any condition to fight, and that was exactly what would happen if they didn’t get the hell out of there now. “The brain damage a blow like that can land her if the right place is hit with the right amount of force--”

“We have a doctor in the house, everyone. Bring all your concerns to him now, because he knows what the fuck he’s talking about.” Maybe she was the only one who noticed, but the Serpent brother's seemed to flinch as one, expression's contorting. For one second, it seemed like they'd reacted to something subconsciously. Casey rolled his eyes and, again, to Lili’s utter amazement, he started working himself back to his feet. This time, Lili didn’t simply stand there. She immediately went to him, wrapping both arms around his body, using her own strength to ease him back to his feet. Casey leaned against her, and Lili could feel his heart racing. “Andrews, get your boy in line here. Time is of the essence, and all that.” he waved the frying pan with an eye roll. "Tick tock."

“Back the fuck off, Keller,” Cole snapped. He dropped his head for a moment, shaking it, like that would somehow stop whatever it was that was happening. Lili found herself leaning forward as she watched him, and only realised what she was doing when Casey hissed, his balance shifting with her. “We can’t hit her with a fucking frying pan, KJ. We can’t. We could hurt her, badly. I can’t … KJ, what would you do if we killed her?"

"Dude..." KJ's lip trembled when his brother grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Seriously," Cole cut in, his eyes searching his brother's. What he was looking for, Lili had no idea. "What would you honestly do if she died, huh?" when KJ shook his head, Cole realised he was making an impression, hurting the boy. He folded his arms. "If she died, KJ," he heaved a shaky breath, "if you let that asshole over there knock her over the head with a blunt object and she stopped breathing, what would you do?"

"Stop." KJ whimpered, pushing the raven head away. Cole stumbled, but he didn't go down easily. Both boy's were clearly still concussed, barely keeping it together. "You have to trust me. It worked on me, it worked on you, and fuck," he swiped at his eyes, breathing hard. "It's going to work on Camila too."

"That's not your decision to make!" Cole shot back. He pressed his lips together stubbornly. "We should wait for her to wake up, and then ask her."

Casey spluttered. "Did the hit to your head knock out your remaining braincells, Jones? Okay sure, so we wait for her to wake up, and then she goes psycho again?"

"Shut it, Keller." KJ muttered. "Cole, you're not thinking straight." the boy sighed. "I dunno about you guys, but I don't want to risk it. Hey, it worked with Cole and I, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her." he raised his hand with a sheepish smile. " "I vote taking her back to our parents, and asking them what to do."

Lili felt the knot in her gut loosen, and she relaxed. Something flickered in Cole's eyes, and he nodded, his lip quirking into a real, genuine smile. "Finally, some intelligence in the room," he said. "Our parents will know what to do."

Her heart clenched. KJ had no idea that his father had practically cut him out of not just the Serpents, but his life. Fred Andrews had let go of his son because it hurt too much to think of him turned Blossom. But here KJ was, free of Clifford's control, blinking at her hopefully. She swallowed hard, her jaw aching when she fashioned her lips into what she really hoped what a reassuring smile, shooting a wary glance at the door. "We should go," she said quickly. "It won't take Clifford long to realise something is wrong when you guys and Camila don't report back to him."

Lili moved to grab Camila, but Cole shook his head, obstructing her way. "How many more times do I have to say it, Blondie?" he growled. "I don't know you, so don't touch my family."

"Cole, she is family, you idiot," KJ cut in, crouching to grab Camila's legs. "When I snapped you out of it you lost some of your memory. Which included Lili."

The boy frowned, folding his arms. "What?" a sceptical smirk crawled on his lips. "Right, so I remember everything else but her?" he scoffed, his gaze flicking to Lili, the boy's expression twisted with irritation. "What are you looking at?"

She looked away quickly, her cheeks smouldering.

KJ wrapped his hands around Camila's ankles. "Can you stop being an ass? Believe me when I say this; she is family." he struggled under his sister's weight, panting. Though maybe that was because he could barely stand as it was. "We can talk about Lili and your sudden lapse in memory later when we're out of here," he said. "For now, help me with Camila."

Casey frowned. "Am I the only one wondering why he only forgot Lili? Memory doesn't work like that. It's not a pick or choose thing, it just happens."

"Not true," KJ muttered. "Dad told us in training that there's a thing called selective amnesia. Where someone can forget certain parts of their life, like a talent or a family member, or uh..." his gaze snapped to Lili. "even a relationship."

Lili couldn't help notice a red blush was slowly spreading over Cole's cheeks, like strawberry's dipped in yogurt. He pursed his lips, frowning at her and squinting, as if trying to see her, trying to trigger something that had been ripped away from him, torn from his memory. At that moment, Lili swore she could remember every moment they had shared in both training and assignments, as well as the drunken night that was still spotty in her own memory, but clear enough for her to know that- something had happened. Lili wished she could see it in clarity, something to hold onto. The night was a mismatched blur, only for her to wake up draped over a sleeping Cole's chest.

She wondered if he'd remembered that night before his mind and memory had splintered.

Cole cocked his head, scowling at her, and it hurt. It fucking killed her to watch the boy stare straight through her. He shook his head, blinking rapidly and let out a hiss of frustration. "We should focus on getting Camila out of here," he said quickly, averting his gaze from hers, and she nodded, trying not to show her emotion. After all, that's what she'd been taught. Never show emotion, even if you're teetering on the edge of your own sanity, even if death is so close, if you're helpless to the point of begging for it.

Lili counted to ten in her mind before forcing it all way. It seemed like a mantra in her head, but now wasn't the time. Later, later, later. She had to keep thinking that. Now wasn't the time to wonder, to freak out if Cole's memories of her really were gone. She held her breath and chewed on her lip. Later would be when she would finally allow herself to split apart. Until then, she would keep smiling. Keep fighting, until they were out of this damn dump. While Cole and KJ worked on getting Camila situated and in some position for transportation, everyone in the room froze when the Serpent girl jerked her head slightly, a tiny moan slipping past her lips. Cole froze, dropping her legs.

"Holy shit," he murmured. "Did it work?"

KJ took a few wary steps back. "Stay back for a minute," he muttered, grabbing his brother's arm and yanking him to stand with him. "Just trust me," his eyes crinkled. There was something blossoming in his expression, a hint of confusion, perhaps even fear. "Just a simple hit to the head knocked it out of her?" KJ curled his lip, his brown eyes stuck to Camila, who was mumbling to herself, her lips moving, eyelids twitching.

Lili stared wide eyed at the girl as she stretched out her legs like a cat and yawned, as if she'd just woken up from a deep sleep. "Camila?" she whimpered softly, all the breath being sucked from her lungs. There was no way a simple hit could have knocked it out of her. Catching Casey's frown, Lili shook her head when he lifted the frying pan.

No. She mouthed. If Camila was back, then there would be no need.

And what if she isn't? His eyes screamed back.

Lili tried not to think about that. Instead she uttered the girl's name again through a single breath. "Camila?"

"Mmm?" the girl's eyes fluttered open, and she peered at the five of them blearily, blinking. Her eyes didn't land on her brother's since KJ was determined to keep his distance. Instead, half lidded eyes only took in Lili standing a few feet away, and Casey still brandishing the frying pan. For a moment, the girl looked confused, before her green eyes shot open in horror, and she sat up, squeaking. Her gaze landed on Lili, fully taking her in, as well as her surroundings and Lili's chest tightened when he saw the look of fright, of complete and utter terror, on her Serpent sister's face. Her eyes were bright again, ignited back to life. "He- he took my brother's," she whimpered. "Oh god, I couldn't- I couldn't stop them!" Camila brought her knees to her chest, ducking her head. She was shaking, trembling, her hands balled into fists. She took deep, heavy breaths, panting. "I couldn't save them, Lili, I couldn't, oh god, I couldn't do anything!"

The girl was hysterical, and in her disoriented state in her head, she was back before she got brainwashed, trapped inside her own mind, her own fears. It was in her stance, the way she was sitting, as if still leaning against the crumbling walls of her cell, blinking into darkness. Camila rested her head in her lap, her chest heaving, body quivering with every sharp sob. Lili glanced at the boy's, and it only took one look, for the two of them to slowly make their way over, Cole falling to his knees in front of his sobbing sister, dragging KJ with him. Lili wanted to join them, she wanted to wrap her arms around the girl, hold her close, murmur that the nightmare was over, and they could all go home. But instead she stood there, tears welling in her eyes, watching the three Serpent kids reunite. And it was beautiful, bittersweet and tragic, all rolled into one.

"Camila," Cole's voice was soft. So soft. So sweet. He hesitated before touching her, instead gently cradling her face and lifting her head up so she was looking at him and KJ, blinking through tears streaking down pale cheeks. "It's over." he said, and her expression crumpled, her eyes growing wide, mystified. Camila turned between her two brothers, the shock and awe written clear on her face, and Lili had to hold back another wave of emotion when she slowly reached out and touched them both, her fingers trailing over their faces as though she couldn’t quite believe they were right there before her eyes. She sat up straighter, her lips curving into a smile, which broke into a grin, tears slipping down her cheeks. But they were happy. They were tears of joy, of shock and confusion mixed into relief. "But-" she blinked at them, shaking her head.

"You...you were-" Camila closed her mouth and decided, no, she shouldn't speak. Instead, she buried her head in Cole's chest, the three of them a tangle of limbs, a mixture of vivid red and raven black. It was a pretty sight. "I thought I'd lost you!" she sobbed.

“Hey Cami,” smiled KJ, squeezing her hand. "I know this is confusing and we'll explain everything once we're out of here. Listen to me, I promise you, we won't let anything happen to you," his voice broke. "You have my word. You just need to trust us, okay?"

The girl nodded and swiped her eyes before frowning at her outfit. "What the hell am I wearing?" she whispered, pulling at the white blouse clinging to her slim frame. The boy's exchanged a glance. Cole shrugged, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her to her feet. The girl clamped her hand around KJ's bicep, clutching the boy for dear life. "We can talk about that when we get out of here." Cole turned to Lili and raised his brow at her, his lips pricking into what might have been a smile, and hell, Lili knew if he knew her, if his memory hadn't been cracked open, Cole would send her a warm smile. But this was more of a confused smirk. "So Blondie, it turned out not hitting my sister over the head with a frying pan and potentially killing her was the right thing to do?" he almost sounded smug, and Lili suddenly had the overwhelming urge to punch him square in the jaw. The memories of countless training sessions between the two of them battered her mind, and she felt breathless. He'd taught her so much, how to defend herself, how to be the Serpent she needed to be. It was like he'd reverted to the Cole she'd first met when he and the others had taken her hostage, believing her to be Cheryl Blossom. The cold, calculating eyes, the twisted smug smirk. Her heart hurt. It had taken a mixture of the two of them to gain the gain each other's trust, to slowly but surely fall for each other. If her Cole, her Jughead, was gone, then would she have to do it all over again?

Yes. Lili decided. She would. There was no doubt in her mind. If she truly had been wiped from his memories permanently, she would let him learn to love her again.

"Cole," KJ growled in warning. "Leave it. We're just lucky your hit worked."

"Wait, what?" Camila was standing now, leaning on KJ, her voice slurred slightly. "You were gonna hit me with a frying pan?" she frowned at Kevin, her eyes widening. "Wait, isn't he-"

"He's with us, don't worry." Lili smiled reassuringly, and the girl nodded slowly, her blue eyes welling with tears. "Okay." she said softly. "Can we please get out of here?" she rubbed the back of her neck. "How long has it been? Did our dad's come?"

Lili opened her mouth to answer, though she wasn't sure what to say. How could she explain that it had been a whole year? That Hiram, Fred and FP had stopped looking for them? Her chest clenched when Cole sent her a glare, shaking his head. But before she could truly think about what she was going to say, the door flew open, and she stumbled back on instinct, her stomach rolling. Cole and KJ didn't move, both grabbing Camila protectively, Casey swearing loudly, abruptly dropping the frying pan.

She expected Clifford Blossom back to finish them off. But instead, frightened eyes landed on no other than her own mother. Alice Cooper stood in the doorway, her blonde hair pulled into a prim ponytail, icy blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. She wore Blossom attire; a perfectly pressed white blouse like Camila, and a pencil skirt. Lili's chest burned, her throat choking up. Mom. She wanted to cry, to scream. The woman who had watched as her Serpent siblings had been tortured for a whole damn year, turned into mindless fighting machines, and bared no mercy when Clifford had picked them apart until there was nothing left but the bare bones of a psychopath, all humanity, all feeling, emotion and empathy cut away, turning them into monsters. Her mother was the reason why Cole was lost to her, all memories of her plunged into unreachable oblivion in his mind.

Something inside her shattered when the woman didn't even look at her, cold eyes instead turning to The Serpents kids. "Jughead." Alice cleared her throat, her gaze on Cole, who clearly had no idea who she was, his eyebrows creased together in confusion. "Why are Kevin and Elizabeth free?"

KJ must have been showing too much emotion to pass off as still being brainwashed, because her lip curled. Alice folded her arms across her chest and took another step inside the room. "Archie, sweetie, have you been compromised?"

KJ narrowed his eyes, but managed to airbrush his expression, back to vacant. "No," he said, quickly detaching himself from his siblings and straightening up, attempting to look like he was still under Blossom control. "Actually, we were just about to-"

"We're not doing this." Cole interjected through gritted teeth. When KJ shot him a look, he shook his head and glared at Alice. "Whatever you did," he took a breath. "Whatever Clifford Blossom did to us, it's over." he grabbed his brother's hand. "We're going." but he still didn't move, locked into place. Alice was standing in the doorway, and there was no way she was just going to slip aside and let them waltz out. Clifford's secret weapons. Lili waited for her mother to freak out like Camila, maybe grab a phone or shout for guards. But her perfectly made up lips only curved into a smile. "Oh really?" she chuckled, before her gaze flicked to Lili. "And I presume this is your doing?"

"Mom," Lili didn't mean to sound so broken, so scared. But after everything that had happened, she could no longer keep up with the facade she'd been hiding behind. Suddenly she was Elizabeth Cooper again, standing in front of her brainwashed mother. She bit her lip against a sob. "Mom, you can't do this," swiping at her eyes Lili wanted to scream. She wanted to cry until her lungs burst. "You watched him hurt them," her chest tightened. "He tortured them, mom!" she squeaked. It was so hard to keep down her emotions, suddenly she was shattering like a china doll, and she couldn't breathe. Everything that had happened in the space of a year without them, longing for Cole, longing for his warm eyes and kind smile. KJ's laugh and Camila's hugs. She'd spent so long aching for them, begging Fred, Hiram and FP to look for them. There was no way she was losing them again. Suddenly, she was breaking apart. Tears were falling freely down her cheeks and she was shaking, trembling, trying so hard to steel herself.

"He hurt them until they submitted to the Blossom's, and you just- you just sat there and watched him do it!"

Well fuck, now she truly was Betty again. "How could you, mom?"

_"Mom?!"_ Cole hissed, catching on. She could feel his judgemental eyes burning into her back. It must have looked bad, surely, that she was the daughter of the woman who stood by their torturer. So she wasn't surprised that Cole sounded so disgusted. Lili sniffled. "We're going." she said stiffly, echoing Cole's words.

Alice adapted a look of sympathy in her eyes, and her expression softened. But Lili didn't hold onto it. She saw right through her mother's semblance. "Oh sweetie," Alice murmured. But she was still smiling. "What you need to understand is all that Clifford did was fix them! They were tainted, poisoned by their criminal parents, destined for a life of crime. Hell, probably dead by their early twenties. These are children who have been trained to be bad, Betty! From a very young age! All the Blossom's have done is helped them. Can't you see? Before Clifford took them under his wing they were filthy mouthed and incredibly violent. We made them polite! So they can be inserted back into the Blossom empire, and become functional, perfect members of society."

It seemed insane that none of the Serpent kids were cutting in with something snarky, or yelling at her mother, the person who had helped their torturer. Instead the three of them stayed silent, jaws clenched, ready to fight if they had to.

"Bullshit." Casey scoffed. "You and this freaky ass, incestuous, Game Of Thrones joke of a family took three kids, whose daddy's are well known criminals in Riverdale's underworld, and saw potential in them since they already were raging maniacs, and ripped away everything that made them human, turning them into literal fucking monsters."

Alice cocked her brow. "Mr Keller, your father wouldn't approve of you siding with these people."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Obviously." he growled. "Speaking of the Blossom's and kid's you've fucked up, where's Cheryl?"

Alice shrugged, unfazed. "Cheryl is having a chat with her father."

Lili bit into her lip to suppress a scream, but Casey was already spitting out the words on her tongue; "'Chatting to her?' And that's code for brainwashing, right?" when her mother didn't answer, Casey took a step forwards, wincing. "You can't even deny it can you? Are you guys going to torture every disobedient kid into submission?"

Alice ignored him, instead focusing her attention on Lili, and part of Lili shattered. This was her mother, her blood, seeing her as nothing but a Serpent. Not even a daughter anymore. Just a barrier between Clifford and the Blossom's, and the Serpent kids.

"Elizabeth, how could you?"

Her lung's squeezed. She couldn't stay silent anymore. "How could I do what?" Lili whispered, risking a step towards her delusional mother. "How could I save three kids who you took from their parents and fashioned into super weapons?"

"Fixed!" Alice snapped, correcting her. Lili winced. She felt like a child again, being reprimanded. "Elizabeth, they were nothing! They were rabid animals that Clifford was going to put down! But then he saw that they could help," she scoffed. Besides, What were they going to grow up as, hm? They were going to follow in their father's footsteps!"

Lili could do nothing but stare at her mother in shock for what seemed like eternity. She couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, and yet ... Swallowing thickly, Lili glanced around her. No-one was speaking. Camila and KJ looked like they were barely holding it together, and Cole was holding onto them like his life depended on it while he stared back at Lili, waiting, with wide eyes. They were all waiting on her.

“I’m not listening to this anymore,” Lili finally said, surprised by how sturdy her voice sounded. “We are leaving and there isn’t anything you can do about it. You’re outnumbered here.” She prayed Alice couldn’t see just how beat up and exhausted they all were.

To her surprise, her mother pursed her lips. "It appears I am, yes." she murmured. There was a strange look in her eye that Lili couldn't distinguish. Alice stepped away from the door, gesturing to it. "Well go on then," her voice was almost teasing, and Lili's throat went dry. Was she serious? Was Alice just going to simply let her go?

When none of them moved, the woman rolled her eyes. "No, I mean it," she said. "Feel free to leave. There's a fire exit at the end of the tunnel."

Lili's heart started stampeding. She caught her breath. "You're not going to just let us go," she said softly, glaring at her mother. "You're playing games."

"No games, Elizabeth." Alice said. "You're right. You kids could easily overpower me, and I'm not in the mood for a fight. Take your Serpent friends and go," she said, her expression darkening. She took a threatening step forwards, that same smile plastered on her lips. "But just know, Betty, that I said goodbye to you as my daughter a long time ago when you pledged allegiance to FP Jones and his gang of vermin. So when you set foot in here again, I will not hesitate in following orders this time and killing you."

A year ago, her mom's words would have broken Lili. But Alice Cooper was passed saving, and the feeling was mutual. Lili nodded, tears stinging her eyes. "Okay." she said simply, and strode forwards on shaky legs. Alice never looked away from her as she hurried to the door, Casey grabbing her arm. When the Serpents kids had made it onto the dim-lit hallway, Alice let out a quiet laugh which sent shivers down her spine. She stumbled on the threshold, still gripping onto Casey's arm.

"Cheryl." she managed to get out. "Let her come with us."

Alice shook her head. "She's an heir to the Blossom empire. Like I said, Clifford is straightening some things out with her."

Lili gritted her teeth. She wanted to argue, to press a knife to her mother's throat and demand she be taken to Cheryl. But Casey pulled impatiently on her arm.

"Come on!"

"You won't get far," Alice teased her daughter. "Just wait, Elizabeth. You might want to think twice about taking Clifford's most prize possessions away from him."

"Lili, we need to go," Casey muttered urgently. "Ignore her, she has a screw loose."

She nodded and let her friend drag her back onto the hallway, but Lili could still hear her mother's laugh reverberating against the walls. Cole was waiting for them at the turn, scowling. KJ and Camila's footsteps could be heard getting further and further away. There were no guards, no alarms. They were shadows dancing towards freedom, with no pursuers whatsoever. "What are you waiting for?" Cole hissed. "Come on!" Lili was surprised he had stayed behind and waited for her. Considering she was the daughter of a maniac, and the friend of Casey, who he clearly absolutely fucking despised.

Alice was right. When Cole pushed the fire escape open, the five of them tumbling out into the cool night air, Lili wanted to cry out, perhaps in anger at her screwed up mother and everything she'd put her Serpent siblings through. But mostly; joy. She wanted to howl into the night. Success! She had saved the Serpent's kids, and they were so close to going home, to seeing their parents again. Even if it meant getting the mother of all lectures from Fred about sneaking off and going against orders, it was worth it. For a second, it was like none of them could speak. The Serpents kids were clinging onto each other. Their sharp sobs were turning to hysterical laughter, as it became clearer that they were out. They had escaped. Lili wanted nothing but to join, but right then it felt like their moment. And as overwhelming the urge to fling her arms around Cole was, her affection would be one sided, and hell, he'd probably shove her away.

Luckily, Casey's car was parked out the back, and Lili piled into the back with Camila and Cole, while KJ took the passenger seat, one arm slung around Casey.

"I'm fine, Andrews," the boy muttered, before KJ retracted his arm with a sheepish smile.

"I don't get it," The Keller boy's hands were squeezing the steering wheel, and he kept glancing at the rear-view mirror. "There are no alarms, no guards..." he turned to frown at the three of them, his eyebrows crinkling with confusion. "We just essentially kidnapped you from the Blossom's, and nobody cares?"

Lili opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. KJ’s warm brown eyes were boring straight at her, and there was something so familiar and different about them, it had her heart racing, a lump forming in her throat, because she’d done it. After a whole year of searching, after a whole year of gaining ground on Clifford Blossom and then having all of her hopes lost time and time again, it had finally paid off. All of the stress, all of the lying, all of the favours she put it, and finally – finally – she had her family back. Her eyes watered and she had to blink them back or else they’d slip down her cheeks. But Lili forced a smile on her face, and for the first time in a long time, it came easily, without strain. It felt real. “Of course, I did. We’re family, right?” And then her heart felt like it was going to burst all the more when KJ broke into a grin of his own, and Lili didn’t bother holding back the tears that fell this time. She leaned into the plush leather seats, letting out a breath of relief, KJ's voice sounded so good in her mind, because it was his again. No longer a robotic drawl.

“Damn right we are.”

“We need to get out of here,” Lili said after a moment. Not that she necessarily blamed them all for just wanting to sit and take a moment to breathe, but her mother had let them go, and that still didn’t sit right with her. And from the way Casey was chewing on his bottom lip, his eyes heavy-lidded, Lili was sure he was thinking the same thing.  
A moment later, her thoughts were confirmed. “It doesn’t make any sense. Clifford Blossom had you guys for an entire year and just let us walk you out? Just like that?”

At the mention of Clifford Blossom’s name, Camila let out a sobbing sound, and Lili immediately snapped her head to the left. Her sister was an absolute mess. She had been able to control herself while they were escaping, but now that they were in the confines of Casey’s car, away from their enemies, she hadn’t bothered to hold up a facade. Her face was pressed into Cole’s neck and her entire body was shaking as she clung to him. “Do you mind shutting the hell up and getting us the fuck out of here already?” Cole demanded, shattering Lili's momentary rush of happiness. He wrapped his arms protectively around his sister, as though that would somehow be able to shield her from the ordeal they’d all experienced, the horrors they were forced through against their wills. “You know, before they actually decide they made a colossal mistake and come back for us.”

“I wish they _would_ take you back,” Casey mumbled before holding his hands up in surrender when KJ’s shot him a dark scowl. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

Lili wasn’t so sure that he was.

After a bit of looking around the car – precious minutes that had Lili’s heart in her throat, because God, that would be such a cruel twist of fate, to get so far, only to discover her mother was only playing a game – Casey finally found the key and ignition and turned the engine. It stalled for a moment, and then again, and Lili bit down on the inside of her gum when she heard Casey muttering rapidly, as though begging and pleading with the car to work, because it felt like with each second that passed, with each second longer they were stuck in Clifford Blossom’s driveway, it felt like a moment closer to being swarmed and dragged back inside. And this time, there would be no saving, no rescue.

It didn’t help that Camila was having a breakdown right beside her. She was clawing at Cole’s sleeves, clinging to him, saying something that was barely distinguishable through her tears, but Cole was whispering back to her, his lips pressed to the ear, trying to calm her down as much as he could. Even KJ looked like he was on his last legs of patience. His hand was twitching and his leg was bouncing up and down, adrenaline and a million thoughts racing through him, because if Casey’s car wouldn’t turn over then they’d have to come up with another method of getting the hell out of there, and who knew what would be waiting for them if they didn’t get out of there –

Lili lost herself in staring at Cole and Camila, part of her longing for the boy to hold her like that. But then the other part of her yelled at herself. Camila was his sister, and he was reassuring her, coaxing her from a panic attack. When Cole's eyes met hers, narrowing slightly, she lost her breath. But he didn't say anything, only frowning at her, as if she was a puzzle he couldn't quite work out while murmuring into Camila's scalp. Lili turned away from the two of them, her heart choked in the back of her throat.

The sound of the engine finally kicking over had Lili letting out a ragged breath, her eyes falling shut as relief slammed into her like a freight train. Casey let out a string of curse words, obvious relief in his own voice before he reached back and snagged the safety belt. “Let’s get the hell out of here, kids. Hey, Donny Darko, do me a favour and hold this, yeah?” Before Cole even had the chance to say anything, Casey’s frying pan was being shoved at him, and Cole had to immediately grab it, otherwise it would have hit Camila. Cole opened his mouth and Lili was sure Casey would have been set on fire with the ire of his wordage, but KJ interjected before his brother had the chance. “Uh … Casey?”

“What?”

“Is it a good idea for you to be, uh … driving?” KJ was staring at Casey’s hands, which were soaked in what looked like fresh blood with the way they were glistening in the moonlight seeping through the windows. And when Casey looked down and realised this, it was almost like the adrenaline that had been keeping him going immediately seeped from him, leaving him pressed back against the seat, his eyes heavy. KJ was gaping, his eyes wide. “Jesus, dude. Oh, wow. That’s a lot of blood.”

Casey just groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "This would be the moment when I'd remind you for the tenth time that it was you who threw me into a wall and nearly choked me to death," he let out a shaky sigh and yawned. "but I'm too goddamn tired."

"Can I help you with anything?" KJ leaned toward the boy, his eyes wide with concern.

"Yes, you can start by shutting up."

Lili leaned forward, pressing herself between the driver and passenger seats, her mouth gaping when she realised just how badly Casey was bleeding. While she knew he was in a pretty bad condition when they were inside, now that she finally had the chance to evaluate her friend, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. He needed medical attention. Now. "Casey, we need to get you to a doctor –”

“No!” The word was a strangled cry from Cole, who was suddenly as white as a ghost, his eyes wide with what could only be described as pure terror. Lili’s mind was a myriad of thoughts and emotions as she stared at Cole, unsure of what was going on and completely blank on what she could possibly say to his sudden outcry. And when she turned to look at KJ, she found that he looked no different. Something was clearly wrong, because KJ was staring back at her with the same wide-eyed expression on his face, tinged with what could only be hints of confusion, like he didn’t know why he was reacting that way, only that what she had suggested was an incredibly bad idea. Mentally cursing, Lili forced herself to look back at Casey, and only when she saw him gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles white and tense, did she take a deep breath and open her door. “KJ, help me get Casey out from behind the wheel.”

She stepped out and started to walk around, only to find that KJ wasn’t moving. Biting back a scream of frustration, she backtracked. KJ was sat stalk still, his chest rising and falling with quick succession. And then she realised what was happening and had to count back from ten before slowly moving to his door. She wasn’t surprised to find it locked. “KJ,” she called, keeping her voice low, but loud enough for him to hear. It took everything she had to not look back at the large Blossom mansion, a curl of anxiety working its way through her thoughts. “I need you to trust me here. We are getting out of here. We are going home. But I need your help right now. I just need you to help me get Casey into the backseat, and then you can get back into the car. I promise.”

KJ opened his mouth and let out a shuddered breath, as though the very idea of getting out was equally as bad as being forced back to the Blossom’s. For one terrifying moment, she saw the panic dancing behind KJ’s warm brown eyes, could see with vivid clarity how he must have been re-living through memories of what Clifford Blossom forced him to do. In KJ’s mind, being in that car meant safety, it meant freedom, and to ask him to get out of that car now after dealing with a whole year of being Clifford Blossom’s mindless puppet … Lili could understand why he was so terrified.

But to her utter amazement, that fear and that panic was visibly shoved to the background. KJ’s jaw locked as he opened his door and stepped out, grabbing onto Lili’s outstretched hand, because if he was going against the very thing that put such fear in his veins, she could be there to help him through it.Getting Casey into the backseat was a hard ordeal. While before they were able to move on adrenaline, now it was completely different. All of the adrenaline, all of the steam that had been keeping Casey going, was gone in its entirety. It took the combined strength of Lili and KJ to pull Casey from the car and walk him around to the backseat – and it took all of Lili’s strength to not slap Cole hard across the face, but also maybe- possibly kiss him with everything she had, when he suggested putting Casey in the boot. “He’ll have more room to spread out.”

That was her Cole. Well, it was a start.

When Casey was secure in the backseat, his shoulder pressed against Cole’s, causing the boy to scowl angrily at the back of her head, Lili made sure KJ had his door closed and locked before she crawled into the driver’s seat. She wasted no time putting the car into drive, and the knot in her stomach slowly started to untangle and loosen when the distance between them and Clifford Blossom began to grow. She let out a shaky breath. “Let’s go home,” she said, squeezing onto KJ’s hand when he reached out and took it.  
And for the first time in a very long time, Lili finally felt complete.

-

"Lili?"

Fred's voice echoed across the foyer when Lili stepped inside Serpent headquarters. It wasn't quite as big as the Blossom mansion, but it was getting there. Breathing in the familiar musky scent of day old sweat and burned mac'N cheese, she nearly cried. It felt so good to be back home, surrounded by safety. It was nearly midnight, so she expected the Serpents to be out on assignment, or upstairs in their office. So when her adoptive father's voice came at her full force when she stumbled inside, tailed by the others, her heart jumped into her throat. This was something she hadn't rehearsed. Lili had thought and planned everything out, over and over again. But what she had never counted on was actually winning back her family. So when it came to reuniting the Serpent kids with their parents, she had no idea what to do. All she did know, was that it would break her.

"What did I tell you about sneaking off?" Fred's voice bounced off the walls. He was pissed. Oh man, he was so pissed, and she was so dead. The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs sent her stomach rolling. She was ready to speak, to have some kind of explanation, but it was far too late for that. The foyer wasn't fully lit, only by a lamp sitting on an ancient table against the wall. So when Fred Andrews stumbled into the room, he squinted at her. The man looked exhausted. He was still wearing the same clothes as the last time she'd seen him; a plaid shirt and crumpled jeans, his leather jacket slung over the top. Fred didn't look angry. Just disappointed. At least that was his expression for a split second, before his gaze flittered from Lili, to his son standing awkwardly next to her. Lili couldn't explain the look that took over her father's face then. Fred stumbled slightly, and KJ lifted an arm and waved shyly.

"Hey dad." he said softly, his voice breaking. And Fred didn't speak. He started forwards, every step becoming more drunken, like he was an out of control train heading straight for his son. KJ didn't move. He was stiff, looking lost, tears falling freely down his cheeks. For a whole year he hadn't known love, or loss. He had been trapped in the back of his mind while he was pupiteered by a psychopath. It was evident in the way he reacted when Fred enveloped him in a hug. But when Fred started sobbing, he relaxed, breaking, melting, in his father's embrace. For a moment, it looked almost wrong. KJ, wearing such perfect pressed clothes, Blossom attire, hugging Fred, his rough as nails Serpent father.

But the longer they stayed together, it became right once more. Fred seemed to be thinking the same thing. "That's you isn't it?" he murmured into the boy's scalp, and KJ nodded, burying his head deeper into the man's chest.

The two of them stayed like that for what felt like forever, and Lili realised she too was crying silently. She swiped at her eyes.

Finally, Fred pulled away, choking on tears. "What in god's name are you wearing?"

KJ shook his head, with teary eyes and a watery smile. "I have no idea."

"What's the commotion? Is that you Lili? Fred, you better have given her an ass kicking. Hell, we can't afford-"

FP's voice cut off abruptly, before he let out a strangled sob, a noise Lili had never heard before. "Where the hell have you been?" the question was directed at Cole, and the boy looked speechless, frowning at his father like he was a foreign object, before he blinked, moving towards the man in long strides. Lili watched the reunion, squeezing Casey's hand for dear life. There was a lot of swearing, tears and yelling, and more tears, when FP finally had his arms around his son, squeezing him for dear life.

"Boy, what did I tell you about sneaking out?" the man's voice kept breaking, and Cole was trembling, clinging onto his dad. "I know," he whispered. "Fuck, I won't do it again, I promise. I promise you, dad. I promise." words became gibberish when the man nodded, slapping his son on the back. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I thought you forgot about me!" Cole finally broke, pulling away, blue eyes swimming.

"Forgot about you?" FP shook his head. "No, no, I didn't want to you see you like this!" he tugged at the boy's clothes. "What did that bastard do to you?"

When Hiram appeared, Camila was already in his arms before he could speak. The man didn't cry. He didn't yell at her. But he did hold her, tightening his grip around the quivering girl as she cried into his chest. Hiram Lodge wasn't crying, but his eyes sure weren't dry. After a moment he was murmuring to her in Spanish, and she was crying harder.

"This is awkward." Casey muttered beside her. "Is this the wrong time to ask for urgent medical attention?"

Lili was caught up in a daze, a wonderful daze that she was happily engulfed in, as she watched FP rip off his Serpent jacket and throw it over Cole, commenting on burning the boy's Blossom clothes. "Lili." Casey said, a little louder.

"Oh right." she cleared her throat. "Dad," when Fred turned to her with swollen eyes and a content smile, her stomach flipped with happiness.

"Uh, I know I'm in trouble, and you can yell at me later. But, Casey my friend, he's hurt. Can you look at him?"

Before she knew what was happening, Lili was also being swept into a hug, and the man was holding her, squeezing her, like she could disappear at any second. He didn't speak. But the embrace spoke volumes. When Fred pulled away, looked confused for a moment, before nodding to her question. 

"Of course." he smiled kindly at Casey. "Kevin Keller, my daughter has told us a lot about you."

A few hours later, Casey was resting in the infirmary. He wasn't that badly hurt, Lili noticed, because he seemed to be getting along fine playing Crash Bandicoot on KJ's Nintendo Switch. The redhead had insisted on sitting at the boy's side, no matter how many times Casey hissed at him to leave him alone. Finally though, he'd given up threatening KJ.

Lili stood at the door, leaning against the wall, a small smile on her lips as she watched the two of them. Casey, covered in bandages, muttering to himself as he battered A, B and Y far too violently for someone playing a handheld game. Camila and Hiram were upstairs cooking dinner, and Cole had headed off to bed, complaining of a headache.

When she'd tried to follow him, he'd pushed her away with a warning look.

Lili was trying hard not to think about that, especially when she was pretty sure the look he'd given her was slowly breaking her into pieces. So instead she dived back under the facade of being absolutely fine, losing herself in Casey and KJ's banter.

Well...KJ's banter. Casey was being a dick. But Casey wasn't Casey without being a dick.

"No, Casey, you have to-" KJ tried to grab the switch off the boy, but Casey was in his element. "I know what I'm doing!"

"KJ," Fred wandered into the room. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

"Hm?" the boy looked up and nodded eagerly, before slapping Casey playfully. "Get me past Ripper Roo, and I'll love you forever."

"Not your friend," Casey grumbled. Then; "This is a kids game, Andrews. A two year old could do that dumb level. You're just stupid to realise the damn pattern."

Rolling his eyes, KJ hurried out to talk to Fred. After listening to Casey bad mouth a computer generated bandicoot far too many times, she found herself leaving the infirmary, and heading back upstairs. Lili took her time, staring at each individual step. There was something bugging her, something she'd missed- but what was it?

Continuing up the stairs, thoughts continued to batter her mind. Her mother's last words. What did she mean?

Lili found herself outside by the pool, walking on the edge. The pool lights flickered like an old burning candle. The buzz of the neon strips accompanied the hum of the slowly dying fan. Staring into the water, she wondered what it would be like to fall forwards and allow herself to sink, where she could scream, and nobody could hear her. The water looked so appealing, so pretty. She was dangling her foot over the edge, daring herself when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, and she panicked, nearly losing her balance.

"Shit!" she squeaked, twisting around, ready to give someone a bloody nose. But to her surprise, it was Cole. But he wasn't snarling at her like earlier. Instead, he looked like he'd been crying. No, scratch that, he was still crying. Lili couldn't help find the boy beautiful- so fucking beautiful, the glow from the pool illuminating him in swimming blue light, igniting his features. His dark hair was its usual mess, his expression was twisted, eyes alive, lips curved into- she didn't know. Was that a scowl or a smile?

"Lili." he said softly, and her name sounded so broken coming from his lips, her heart splintered. When she couldn't reply, he grabbed her shoulders, and she bit back a cry when his fingernails dug into her exposed shoulders. "You're Lili," he was breathless, shaking his head and letting out a spluttered laugh. "You're Betty Cooper, Lili Andrews, fuck- you're Lili," he squeezed her tighter, and Lili stared at his eyes as they flickered, tears staining his cheeks. "You're Lili," he muttered. "Lovely, lovely Lili."

"Cole?" she managed to get out. His grip slipped, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. The realisation was slamming into her like a tumultuous wave, and she was losing herself in it. He didn't say the words, but when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into an embrace, and she was drowning in the stink of his cologne, his warmth was so intoxicating. He stared at her for what felt like a million years, while her stomach danced and her heart imploded, before finally, he leaned in and kissed her, stealing her breath away, and the words on her lips. Lili allowed herself to fall into him, giving into the emotions that had been driving her mad for so long. The boy tasted like tears, but it was so him. Her Cole, finally, wrapped around her like she'd wished for. When they broke away, he was smiling, and she was breaking apart all over again.

"Hi." he said softly. Lili couldn't help but laugh. She wanted to kiss him again. No, hell, scratch that. She wanted to grab him and pull him into the pool, deep, deep under the water where they couldn't be disturbed. Because this moment was perfect.

But perfect, unfortunately, could wait. She couldn't stop the words coming out of her mouth.

"How?" she whispered. "Cole, you didn't remember me," her eyes stung. "There's no way it could come back so fast, how is this-" she choked on her words. "How is this possible?"

The boy bit his lip. "I don't know," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "It was like a barrier inside my mind, and you were behind it. I was in my room trying to nurse a shitty headache when it just- happened. Like a switch. I remembered you."

"Like a switch?" Lili started to say, but her words were drowned out by something that slammed into her, shattering perfection, shattering the beautiful now that she had found herself in. It was a gunshot.


	15. I loved, and I lost you.

The sound of a gun being fired had Lili gasping, her entire body being jerked as Cole wrapped himself around her, as though shielding her from danger. It was unmistakably a gun; one single round being shot, shattering the previously still, relaxing night. Lili let out a strangled breath, waiting for a second one, and then a third. But there was the only one. Just one shot. Which set off alarm bells in her head. She squeezed Cole's shoulder as she peered over him, her heart pounding in her ears. Despite the guarded, focused look on Cole’s face as he looked around frantically, he was completely still. It took a few seconds for it to register in her mind, that the shot had come from inside the house. “Cole ...” Lili whispered frantically, her heart beginning to hammer erratically, as though speaking any louder would alert attention to where they were at by the pool.

Cole opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by a high-pitched, horrified scream that had Cole immediately grabbing her hand and dragging her to the house. "Camila..." his voice was a breathy gasp, and Lili's stomach rolled. Before Lili knew what was happening, Cole was dragging her back through the sliding doors leading back into the house. "What's going on?" she could only gasp out, swallowing burning bile. In her Serpent training Lili had been taught to always carry a weapon, preferably a gun. But she'd left it in her room, along with her jacket, pretty much anything she could use to defend herself. Cole was the same. Since Camila's scream a few seconds ago, the house had been eerily quiet. Lili opened her mouth to speak. Though the words she was about to say were choked at the back of her throat, when a familiar yell sent prickles of panic writhing up and down her spine. "No!" It was the kind of cry that made Lili's blood run cold. It pierced the brain and ignited some primeval pathway. Adrenaline surged through her veins, fight or flight, stand or run, be a hero or a coward. She'd recognise the yell anywhere, anytime. Something in Cole jolted, and he hissed out a breath. By now his fingernails were digging into her bare flesh, but Lili could barely feel the sting. Her heart was on fire. "KJ," Cole's voice was shaking. "That was...oh god, that was my brother." he turned to her. "That was Archie."

Archie. Lili had to get used to that name. But he was right. It was undoubtedly him.

There was no denying it, and Lili didn't bother sugar-coating. She could only nod, but her Serpent brother and sister's cries wouldn't leave her mind. There was something about them that turned her gut. Camila's cry had been pain, agony, the type of scream that ripped from your throat after witnessing, or doing something so terrible you couldn't deal with it. It wasn't a cry for help. While KJ's was delayed slightly. He was reacting. It was a feral scream of denial, panic and utter hopelessness. Cole must have been thinking that too, because he was holding her, as if letting go would cause him to lose her forever. "Stay by my side," He murmured. He was hyper alert, his grip tight on her arm, and despite Lili's fear, her heart slamming painfully against her rib-cage, thoughts that she'd much rather not think about pummelling her mind, she was thankful for his touch, the way his fingers slid up her arm protectively. Nodding, Lili held her breath.

With one hand still wrapped around her wrist, Cole was frantically searching his belt for his gun, for any weapon. But both of them were completely unarmed, and that fact turned Lili's stomach over. What if this was what her mother had meant? Alice Cooper's words reverberated in the back of her mind, on constant repeat as Cole dragged her further and further into inevitable danger. He was stumbling over himself, barely able to keep his footing, moving forwards by sheer face of will, motivated by his sibling's agonising cries. Lili squeezed her eyes shut, but her mother was still there, giggling, laughing, screeching into her skull. "You'll think twice about taking away Clifford's prize possessions." her mother's chilling laugh still felt so close, slamming into her mind like bolts of lightning. A coil of panic began to unravel in her gut, causing her to question every action she'd made since freeing the Serpent's kids. Something hadn't sat right with her, nagging at her mind like an insistent child, begging her to listen, to see the bigger picture.To see what was right in front of her. But Lili was blind, choosing to be ignorant, to wear rose tinted glasses that protected her from the truth

She sucked in a breath when Cole pulled her to the far wall of the downstairs kitchen, the two of them pressing themselves against it, while her mind went into overdrive. Perhaps it was when they had kissed, and she had been so caught up in her emotions, in the sweet smile that was his again. Cole. The smile she had been aching for, for so long. Lili had been staring right at his eyes, tracking tears trickling down his cheeks, and then she had been tasting him; salty lips tinged with blood, and an embrace that was so soft and so sweet, promising her of many more to come, and a relationship and partnership to last a lifetime. So maybe that's why she'd failed to see it. Lili had failed to notice his eyes had a strange tinge to them, and it was so familiar. She'd seen it before; writhing blue, a burning ring of sapphire in his eyes that was there one second, and gone the next. But where had she seen it before? It was skating the edge of her brain, on the very tip of her tongue, choking in her throat. But she couldn't think about that right now. When KJ, Camila and their parents were safe, then she'd question it. But the brewing panic in her gut continued, twisting and pulling relentlessly.

"Upstairs," Cole jerked his head in the direction of the foyer, through the double doors. The downstairs kitchen was dark, with the only light coming from a charger plugged in on the countertop, a dull blue glow illuminating glittering granite. Lili could only hum in response. "Stay there," he murmured, before hurrying over to one of many kitchen draws and yanking it open. He took out a gun, a German-built 10mm Glock Automatic. Lili's training had made sure she'd memorised almost every type. He made sure it was loaded and slipped it into the waistband of his trousers, under his shirt.

"There's only one," he breathed, glancing at her. Lili's stomach twisted, but she shook her head, forcing a smile. "I'm good!" she whispered, when technically, she wasn't. If there were assailants upstairs, all she had for defence were her bare hands. But Lili knew how to throw a punch. She knew how to knock someone out in one swift hit. "There's one thing I don't understand," Cole said softly, pressing himself against every wall, dragging her with him so they were shoulder to shoulder. His free hand was ready to draw his gun at any point, his fingers twitching at every creak, every noise, even the squeaks Lili's converse made on the kitchen tiles. The boy's breath was in her ear as he spoke through gritted teeth; "Dad had alarms installed everywhere. Nobody could have walked through the front door." Lili bit her lip. "So, what?" she murmured, exhaling through her nose. She was a heavy breather, and that really didn't help when they had to be quiet, for the sake of staying alive. "Do you think they somehow shut off the alarm system?"

"No," Cole shook his head and turned to her. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him look scared. The whole Clifford ordeal had painted him as a human, and not just a criminal's son. Compared to their first meeting, the fearless glint in his eyes, that twisted smirk that boasted of not even knowing the concept. But now, Cole Jones looked terrified. Lili could tell he hated every word that came from his own lips, but as in denial as he was, he believed it. Cole blinked at her, long lashes framing wide green eyes. He was shaking, his voice a whimper. "No, I think whoever fired the gun was already inside the house."

"But that's-" Lili swallowed hard. The boy's words had stolen the air from her lungs, and she fought for breath, as well as against a brewing panic attack. "The only ones inside the house are you, me, KJ, Camila, Casey and our parents," she stated, but despite her insistence, something was setting off inside her, an inferno igniting all those bad thoughts to the forefront of her mind, and she couldn't stop it, couldn't push it away, couldn't ignore it. Her mother's last words coming back to haunt her, a vicious cyclone, spiteful prods battering at her, and all Lili could think about was Alice's parting smile, a knowing grin curling on her lips, icy blue eyes twitching with anticipation. She shook away the thought, suddenly wanting to jam her fist in her mouth and suppress a scream. This couldn't be happening. They had been safe! They were back with their parents! So why was everything falling apart again? Couldn't they catch a damn break?

She felt like they were on a stealth mission again, but this time it was just the two of them. Cole didn't waste any time, his fingernails digging half moons into the flesh of her arm, his breathing ragged as he pulled her across the kitchen, and after hesitating for a second, straight through the double doors. Lili had been expecting some kind of threat on the other side of the doors, but there was nothing. The foyer was just how they'd left it, sitting in the din. The glow from the lamp projected their shadow's dancing across the walls as they took the stairs two at a time. Cole was trembling, his quivering fingers moving up and down her arm, struggling to keep a secure hold.

They were almost to the top of the stairs when Cole gasped and stumbled. He must not have lifted his foot high enough, and Lili quickly moved to where she was the one now gripping his arm. But Cole dropped, taking Lili with him, his eyes frantic as they searched for signs of movement. His chest was rising and falling and the breathy gasp that was coming out of him was shaky and unbalanced. Lili could see that he was breaking apart, not knowing what had happened to his siblings, and it sent her heart into her throat. She let out a quiet gasp when the boy grabbed her, snaking his arms around her neck, holding her and cradling her trembling form, pressing their foreheads together. It happened so abruptly, Lili wasn't expecting it. But she still melted into him, enjoying how he was holding her, squeezing her, like he really, truly loved her.

“I’m scared, Lili,” Cole’s voice was a childlike whimper, his breath heavy, lips gracing hers in a tender but desperate kiss. But the kiss was so fast she could barely register it. Lili felt her heart break all over again. It felt like their last, like it was a goodbye. She nodded and pulled away, sweeping raven strands of hair from his eyes.

It was hard to keep herself from crumbling. To see Cole like that, to see the boy she had always viewed as courageous and fearless clinging to her and shaking in her arms, seeking solace in a situation they had no idea they would stumble into, it had her heart breaking and splintering in her chest. Curling her fingers around his neck, Lili pressed a kiss to his lips once more before forcing a smile on her face. There was nothing happy about it. If anything, it was sad and hopeless, but she had to try. For him. “I’m scared, too. But we’ll figure it out, okay?” what was she saying? How was this in any way reassuring?

But to her surprise, Cole chuckled, burying his head in her chest. "You've come a long way," he mumbled, choking on another laugh. He paused, before letting out a soft sigh.  
“Yeah, it'll be okay,” Cole whispered, closing his eyes for a brief moment before flickering them open once more. It was amazing to watch the way he visibly pushed back the fear, swept away the growing panic that had momentarily crippled him. But Lili watched as he wrangled all of the fear and panic, a look of determination being replaced to the forefront, because there was no time for anything else. Not when Camila, KJ and the Serpent parents were somewhere in the house, not after that shot was fired. After another quick look around, Cole swallowed thickly and took Lili’s hand again. It was slick with sweat, but she didn’t care. She needed his comfort and he needed her strength, and if holding onto each other’s hands did the trick then that was fine by her. He sucked in a breath, his fingers tangling with hers. Lili's chest ached. It felt good.

“Come on.”

Cole slowly led them up the rest of the stairs and, after glancing up and down the corridors, he took Lili to the left, pressing them both against the wall as they moved onward, keeping the gun at his side. Every noise had him drawing it with a single breath, gripping her tighter. It was agonising, their progression, but Lili understood it. They had no idea what they were going to be walking into, and if they were able to get a glimpse before they were forced to interfere, those few seconds of planning could mean the difference between life and death. Because they had no clue what was happening. Lili could still hear Camila and KJ's cries, the ear-splitting, shrill sound of utter devastation ringing out. It still had shivers racing down her spine whenever they echoed in her memories, and she knew that that was a sound she wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. As they walked, Lili thought about her mom's warning again. "You won't get far!"

Well, they had. Home to be exact. And nothing had jumped out at them...yet.

Up until that moment, the house had been quiet. Eerily so, and Lili felt like screaming just to fill up some of the dead noise. She could practically hear her pulse vibrating in her ears, and only when Cole sucked in a lungful of breath and pushed her against the wall did she hear it - the sounds of a struggle. There was another moment of paralysis, where Cole seemed unable to move, his chest rising and falling rapidly, as though he was trying to psych himself up. He bit his bottom lip and gently knocked his head against the wall before tightening his grip on Lili’s hand and slowly ducking around the corner. And because he was the first to round the corner, his reaction was all Lili needed to know that something was very wrong. Because Cole stopped walking entirely, his face draining of all colour. Even his grip on her hand slackened to the point where her hand fell away from his entirely. And only when Lili closed the distance between them and joined his side fully did she finally see what the Serpent boy was seeing.

"Cole?" she managed to get out, her voice betraying her, a frightened squeak. The rest of her words were choked in her throat as she took in the scene slowly unravelling before her. At first she thought she was seeing things, but when Lili blinked slowly, her heart beginning to jackhammer, she realised what she was seeing was real. KJ was in the doorway to the upstairs kitchen with a knife clenched tightly in one of his hands, the other pinning Fred against the wall. The knife was so close to the man's throat, scathing his jugular, blood already smearing the collar of his shirt. The redhead's teeth were gritted, brown eyes wild, and then Lili knew. She knew what she'd seen before, and she knew what she was seeing now. But she was paralysed, all the breath sucked from her lungs. "Cole!" KJ twisted around to meet eyes with his brother, his expression twisted with fright. But Lili saw past the look of terror. She saw something else. Something she'd been too afraid to confirm. "You need to help me," he whimpered. KJ seemed to be fighting with his own hand, which was inching closer and closer to his squirming father's throat. "Please!" he gasped. "I can't- oh god, I can't stop it!"

Cole took a shaky step towards the boy. "What do you mean you can't stop it?" his voice was shaking. "Stop what?"

KJ squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head violently. "He's in my head," the boy was feverish, eyes flashing dangerously. "You've gotta kill me," he struggled for breath, his knuckles turning white around the handle of the knife. "If you don't kill me, I'll- I'll kill him," he whimpered, blinking rapidly. When Cole didn't reply, only staring at his Serpent brother with a torn expression, KJ howled in pain. "Are you fucking listening to me?!" Cole shook his head slowly and KJ let out a sharp cry, "It's in my head, Cole! There's something in my head!" he let out a hiss when Fred tried to speak, tried to calmly slip out of the boy's grip. "KJ," the man said softly, albeit shakily. Fred was staying remarkably calm. "Listen to me. Whatever's happening, you can fight it."

"No!" KJ's cry morphed into a growl. "It won't let me!" the knife was so close now, the teeth tracing the man's Adam's apple. "Please, I don't want to do this, oh god, please!" KJ slammed his free fist into the wall. The boy was trembling, his whole body looking ready to collapse. "Kill me," he said weakly. "I can't hold it-" letting out a strangled breath, the boy tried to drop the knife, tried to loosen his grip. But he couldn't. Lili wanted to help him, to rush forwards and untangle Fred from the boy's clutches, but if KJ wasn't in control of his actions, there was nothing keeping him from lashing out at her.

"Cole, help me," The boy whined like a child, his vicious grip slamming his father into the wall when Fred tried, once again to get away. Fred hissed out in pain this time. "KJ, please," the man growled, struggling to get the upper hand. "Son, snap out of it!"

"It won't..it won't let me!" He repeated, choking on sobs. "I can't, dad, it's in my head!" KJ shook his head again, tears streaking down his cheeks. He was on the edge of hysterics, choking on sobs rattling his chest. It was the first time Lili had been scared of the redhead. With wide eyes, the crazy, the manic lunacy he had hidden so well, was suddenly alive in his pupils, so striking, so beautiful. So terrifying. But now Lili couldn't help it. She couldn't help the fear eating away at her heart, such a foreign feeling, taking her back to their first meeting. When his shark smile and glittering eyes had ripped the air from her lungs. KJ gritted his teeth like an animal, snarling. "It's in my head!" he whimpered, streams of saliva dribbling down his chin. "Get it out!"

"What?" Cole shuddered. "KJ, what are you talking about?"

"Cole." Fred said calmly. "There's something wrong with him," he gasped out when KJ slashed at his throat. It wasn't bad enough to cause real damage, only a small cut, but the boy still cried out when blood spattered his face. Fred arched his neck, taking quick breaths. "You- you remember your training, right? Don't give into your emotions, son. You need to restrain your brother. Cole, it's going to be okay, alright?" Fred seemed to be on the edge of losing it himself. "Concentrate, okay? Don't focus on anything else, forget about Camila. Focus on your brother. He- he needs your help."

Camila? Her father's words struck a chord, and something shattered inside Lili, a second blow, much worse than the first one, sending her head spinning on its axis.

She glanced at Cole. But the boy wasn't looking at KJ, who had managed to twist the knife around, stabbing the handle into Fred's shoulder. But something was still pushing him, forcing him to give in. Cole was staring past his brother, directly into the kitchen itself. Lili followed his gaze. She was afraid to look, because part of her already knew what she was going to see. The sound of the gunshot was still ringing in her ears, that single shot. Cole made a whimpering noise before slamming his hand over his mouth. "No," he staggered backwards, tripping over himself. "No, no, no, please-" Cole was crying, his hands ragging violently at his hair. He was in denial, but at the same time he had also been right. There were no attackers in the house. It was his siblings who were the assailants, and they had suddenly turned feral on their own parents. Lili's frightened gaze first found a half eaten pizza sitting on the oven. But then there was Camila, her sister, illuminated by fluorescent yellow light. She couldn't have looked more beautiful, more horrifying, standing in the corner of the room, a gun in her trembling hands. Her hair was a tousled mess, hanging in wide blue eyes, ruby lips gaping. And on the floor with a bullet in his head, laying in a pool of crimson was her father. Hiram was dead, there was no doubt about that. Lili swallowed. He'd been shot cleanly through the head. It had been the perfect shot, and yet Lili knew Camila didn't have that good aim.

Biting back a cry as the reality of the situation registered in her mind, igniting her heart, Lili's stomach rolled as she reached out for Cole's hand. But it was still over his mouth, gagging his muffled cry. It was like the spell that had been cast over Camila had been abruptly shattered, and she was left standing frozen over Hiram Lodge's body.

"What..." Cole snapped out of it quickly, clawing his fingers down his face. "What did you do?" at the corner of Lili's eye, KJ held the knife once again to his father's throat, this time stiffening completely, all the fight going from his expression.

"Cole, you need to kill me," he spluttered, twisting to face his brother, and Lili saw his eyes flash with something that seemed to be drowning his pupils, dragging the boy into oblivion. Fred tried one ditch effort to shove his son off of him, but the Andrews boy was stronger. He was momentarily thrown off when Fred head butted him- hard, sending the redhead staggering backwards, only for him to lunge forwards again like an animal, fingernails clawing at his father's neck. Fred crumpled to the floor and KJ collapsed with him, trapping the man in a choke hold and resting the blade over his throat.

"Archie," Fred said softly. "You don't have to do this. Hey, hey! Look at me."

"You need to kill me!" It was like KJ was struggling to speak, forcing words though his lips, thankfully overlapping the ones being forced into his mouth.

"That's not going to happen, okay? You just need to drop the knife."

"I told you!" the boy wailed. "I can't!"

Camila dropped to her knees, the gun still in her hands, just as KJ let out another bone chilling cry, the two of them in tragic sync. Her Serpent brother and sister were in agony, fighting something that had crawled into their head and wouldn't let go, a relentless beast latching onto their thoughts. Lili felt like someone had stuck a knife into her spine and given it an almighty twist. She was frozen, torn between helping KJ and dragging Camila, who was beginning to slowly hyperventilate, away from Hiram's body. Camila let out a strangled sob, her lips moving, but no sound came out. She only gasped for breath, shakily reaching out with her free hand and shaking her father's body, as if she couldn't grasp what she was seeing. Despite still holding the gun, the girl continued to nudge Hiram weakly, her eyes growing wider and wider, almost cartoon like.

"Dad?" she whispered, then again, louder; "Daddy?"

"Camila," Cole spoke softly. The word "why" was on his quivering lips, his cheeks scarlet with unkempt anger, and something entirely else, before he was twisting around and lunging at KJ, pulling the scrambling redhead from his father. Lili watched in her frozen state as Cole wrapped an arm around KJ, physically pulling him back. Her heart leapt in her throat at the sight of the knife in KJ’s hand, and she wasn’t even entirely sure if Cole was aware of it, his confusion and panic driving him to just do something. Before he could even ponder the possibility of his brother senselessly attacking him, too. But almost as quickly as Cole moved and jerked KJ back, his entire body seemed to stall to a complete stop. There was a jolting moment where he seemed uncertain as to what was happening, but then his head turned and Lili felt her world stop. Because something had changed in his eyes, and she'd seen it before. Back in the Blossom mansion when KJ had been staring at the ceiling; writhing sapphire light flickering like an old candle, taking her breath away. A trick of the light, she'd tried to tell herself. But now Lili was seeing it in all of its glory; a glittering ethereal light taking over.

And before Lili could say or do anything, in one swift moment, Cole was pulling his gun from his belt and pointing it right at her, letting KJ go. And the second he did, KJ was throwing himself back at Fred, the knife flashing under the fluorescent lights.

Lili found herself moving backwards, her arms slowly raising in surrender. "Cole?" she swallowed thickly. He stood rigid, teeth gritted, the gun perfectly melded into his hand.

"Cole, put...put the gun down." Lili was surprised how calm she sounded, despite her heart doing acrobatics.

Cole shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "I can't." he whispered, his eyelids flickering. The glock was trembling in his hands. "There's something..." he trailed off when Lili sucked in a breath, taking a risky step forwards and pushing down the overwhelming urge to scream. She already knew what he was going to say, because he had the exact same look as his brother; confusion, pain and irrational anger.

"Lili, there's something in my head-" he was cut off by a familiar voice. "Boy, what the hell are you doing?"

FP. He had come up behind them, Casey limping by his side. Cole's father turned his attention to KJ, who had managed to crawl away from Fred, who had passed out. The redhead had propped himself up against the table leg with his knees to his chest, and was rocking backwards and forwards, muttering to himself. Whatever force that had held KJ's mind in a metal vice had abruptly let him go. "Archie..." FP started towards the boy, but he snapped his head up, his expression twisted with terror. "Don't come near me!" his gaze flickered to his father. "Get my dad away from me, It'll- it'll make me kill him!"

It only took a few more seconds for FP to see Camila with her arms around Hiram, sobbing into the man's still chest, and all the colour drained from his face.

"Now hold on KJ," He spoke calmly, but couldn't hold back a strangled sob which shook his whole body. "What are you blathering on about?" he turned on his own son, eyes slitting. "Cole, for god's sake, put the fucking gun down!"

Casey blinked at Lili in confusion, frowning at Cole. "What's going on?" his voice shook slightly. "Jug?" his eyes narrowed when they settled on Cole, who didn't drop the gun. Lili had stared into the barrel of a gun many times, she was almost used to it. But knowing Cole wasn't in control of himself, while pointing the barrel at her head, her heart was dancing, her stomach twisting itself into uncomfortable knots.

“Don’t, just ...” Cole stumbled back, his fingers flexing, like he was trying to force himself to let go. “I don’t ... I can’t drop the gun.” His voice shook, but he was trying to keep calm.

“Why can’t you let the gun go?” Casey demanded, slowly stepping into the room. His eyes widened when he saw the pool of blood. “Jesus Christ! What the hell!?”

“Casey!” Lili gaped when Camila let out another self-deprecating howl.

Cole gritted his teeth. “Shut the hell up, Keller.”

There was too much activity. Lili felt like the world was getting ready to explode. Camila was covered in blood from her touching and pressing her head against Hiram’s chest. KJ was rocking back and forth, gasping and pulling at his hair. He was trying not to look at Fred’s unconscious body and, if Lili was being honest, she was trying to do the same. “Boy,” FP called, gaining Cole’s attention. His focus seemed to be on Fred at the moment, too. “Is your uncle alive?”

“I don’t — I don’t know.” Cole sucked in a lungful of breath, clamping his fingers tighter around the gun. The way he was holding it made Lili's stomach twist. He glanced over, his face paling when he saw a large gash on Fred’s temple. “KJ. Look at me, man.” When KJ did, tears streaming down his face, Cole asked, “Is — Fred okay?”

“I knocked him out.” KJ gasped. He glanced over and then immediately pressed his face into his hands, stifling a sob. “Oh God, what’s happening?” he ragged at his scalp, yelping in anguish. "I couldn't stop myself..." he whispered, whimpering softly. "I couldn't stop myself, I was going to do it! Oh god, my dad, I was going to kill my dad!"

“Jughead.” The sound of his real name coming out of his father’s mouth had Cole locking eyes with him, his expression terrified and hopeful, like he trusted his father completely to fix this. Lili swallowed thickly and looked up to FP, who's gaze kept flickering to his fallen friend. There were tears glistening in steely eyes.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

"I can’t put the gun down. I don’t know what’s wrong, but it’s like something in my head..." Cole prodded his temples with two fingers, grimacing. "Dad, there's something telling me to —“ And that's when Cole started to crumble. Tears welled in his eyes and immediately spilled over his cheeks. “It’s telling me to kill you...to kill Lili."

FP cocked his head. "I don't understand." He croaked. "Cole, don't be ridiculous, give me the gun." when he started forwards, Cole swung the barrel towards him. "Stay back, dad." he rubbed at his eyes, his lip trembling. "I don't..fuck, I don't want to hurt you."

Nodding, the man stilled. "Alright." FP raised his hands shakily. "Come back to me, boy."

"I don't think I can." Cole whimpered.

From behind Cole, Camila let out another wail, her face flushed and her body quivering. Her knuckles were white where they cling to Hiram, her father, but he wasn’t moving, a puddle of blood around the wound in his head. Camila’s knees were stained red. Lili could taste bile on her tongue. "Jones," Casey spoke up, and Lili's heart stammered when Cole's eyes shuddered and hardened, becoming laser-focused. That glimmer that had taken hold of his brother and sister ultimately claiming him too. Cole's gaze flickered to Casey.

"Traitor." he gritted out, but Lili knew they weren't his words. Cole's eyes were wide, as his body seemed to be on autopilot before the gun followed the arc his body swung in, his index pressing down on the trigger. Lili was only aware of the crack of the bullet, and then Casey falling forwards. Everything seemed to go by in a blur of motion in front of Lili's eyes. Her best friend was hitting the ground, and KJ was suddenly behind Cole, wrapping his arms around the stunned boy, who still didn't drop the gun.

"We need to go!" KJ was yelling, crying, shaking Cole, but he didn't react. "Jug!" the boy was battering at his brother's chest, trying to snap him out of it, but Cole's expression didn't change. He only shoved the boy off before righting himself. Lili found herself completely paralysed, unable to move. FP had fallen to his knees beside Casey, and Camila was screaming, howling in pain. She flinched when warm hands were coming down on her shoulders, shoving her to her knees. Lili hit the ground with a sharp gasp.

She didn't cry out when the brush of cold metal protruded into her forehead. The adrenaline flooded Lili's system like it was on an intravenous drip - right into her blood at full pelt. She wondered if her heart was going to explode and her eyes were wide, letting in every ounce of the fading light. Cole fell to his knees in front of her, and his expression was crumpled. When he applied pressure, she resisted against a hiss.

"He wants me to kill you," he said softly, and Lili could tell he was fighting with every ounce of lingering strength to hold onto deteriorating free will.

"He?" she questioned. But Lili already knew what he meant.

"Keller!" FP was yelling, and Lili allowed her gaze to flicker to her best friend, who was dying in the man's arms, sprawled out, in a growing vein of red. Her chest ached. Kevin. But she couldn't crawl over to him, try and help stifle the bleeding. FP had pulled off his plaid shirt, screwing it up and pressing it to the boy's leg where bright red diffused his jeans. "Hey, stay with me, boy! Someone get a damn doctor!"

KJ crawled over to Camila, hooking his arms around his hysterical sister, pulling her away from Hiram. But the girl was screaming, clawing at him, before draping herself over her father. "No!" she wailed, pushing him away. "Get away from me!"

"He wants me to go back," Cole whispered, drawing her attention back to him. His eyes were manic, and he was prodding his temples with his other hand; stab, stab, stab. He pressed the barrel deeper, and the pain was agonising. "I don't...I don't want to go back, Betty." he sucked in a breath, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks, and Lili momentarily revelled in him saying her real name. He dropped the gun, and her heart shattered into pieces. "But he made my sister kill her own father-" he sobbed. "He'll never let me go. He'll never let us go, and now he's making our parents pay the price."

"No." Lili knew from the look in his eyes, what this meant. When KJ, with one arm wrapped around Camila, staggered over, she knew from the look in his eyes, that what Cole had said was true. Her mother had been right. The Blossom's were never going to stop. Cole quickly found solace in his brother, shakily grabbing his arms for dear life. "I don't want to go back," he hissed. "We can't go back, we can't, KJ, we fucking can't-"

KJ nodded, and let the boy break, slowly falling into him. "I know." he said softly, gently pressing their heads together. "I know you don't want to," the redhead whispered. "Believe me, I've gone through every other option in my head, but I tried to kill my dad, okay? Do you hear me? Jug, I tried to kill my dad. He made me hurt him."

It was jarring hearing their real names so many times. It hit Lili that she only knew them as their cover names, not even the real them. Cole only nodded stiffly, but didn't reply, and KJ, or she guessed, Archie, was gripping his shoulders tighter. "He made Camila kill Hiram, and I nearly killed Fred. Hell, he made you shoot Keller! Do you want to kill FP, or even Lili? Jug, We're ticking time bombs, do you understand me?"

When KJ pulled away, he stared at his brother, brown eyes begging him to understand. "Do you understand me?" he repeated more urgently. "We need to go, okay?" his voice broke again. "We need to go back."

"No-" Lili was speaking, and she wasn't sure why she was. This wasn't her decision to make, but she couldn't- hell, she couldn't lose them again.

"Are you kidding me?" the words were flying from her lips before she could stop them, and they sounded poisonous. She was selfish. So selfish. But for all the right reasons. "Cole, I just got you back!" her voice was breaking, and she was grabbing him, cradling him, savouring every inch of him. "I waited a year! A whole year, and every day I thought about you, even when you were a Blossom, even when you tried to kill me! I-" suddenly she was losing it, really losing it. Her chest was aching, lungs starved of oxygen. There were words at the back of her throat, but she couldn't choke them out.

"Cole." KJ's tone was a warning. He was grappling with a delirious Camila, who was still trying to get to her father, reaching out to him, screaming, crying at her brother to let her go. The redhead tightened his grip, his expression twisting with pain, as if he was still trying to shake off whatever had forced him to attack his father. Lili sent her Serpent brother a helpless look, and the boy forced a reassuring smile.

"It's not forever, Lils." he said. But he wasn't smiling with his eyes, like he usually did. Finally, Cole seemed to snap out of it. "KJ's right." he said softly, swiping at his eyes, as if crying was the worst thing he could possibly do. "We'll be fine."

God, he was such a bad liar.

"You can't leave me again." Lili managed to get out. She wanted to punch him. She wanted to batter his chest, knock this stupid thought out of his head, because this would mean going away- for god know's how long. But deep down, she knew it was the right thing to do. She sounded pathetic, spluttering some kind of excuse which didn't make sense. Suddenly it was so hard to breathe, she felt like a metal pipe was lodged in her throat. "Whatever it is, you can fight it!" she shrieked. "Whatever he's done to your head-"

"Whatever he's done to me has turned me into a killer." he said, his voice suddenly cold. "I'll kill you, Lili. He'll make me kill you and then I'll kill my own father." he let out a disgruntled laugh. "Don't you see? I didn't remember you on purpose, or even properly forget you." Cole ducked his head. "It was all him, playing a game, when I thought I had all the cards, when I-" his voice shook. "When I thought I'd escaped him, he's been there all along in my head, waiting to make me hurt you and my dad."

Before Lili could say anything, the boy was running his hands through his hair and tipping his head back, dazed glittering eyes running along the ceiling. "I'm a killer."

"No." his words were killing her, picking apart her heart. "You’re Cole. You’re Cole Jones," she whispered. "You're- you're Jughead Jones! You'd never hurt us!" If it was her final attempt to keep him, to make him stay, she was going to take it. "C’mon Cole, come on baby,” Lili pressed herself into him, squeezing her eyes shut. “Please,” She whimpered, cradling his face. “Please don’t leave. Please stay with me, please.”

“You know I can't.” There were tears falling down his face, his bright eyes shimmering with loss and grief and so much pain, it was ripping Lili to pieces. Because who knew when they’d see each other again. Before she could say anything, Cole surged forward and slammed their lips together, the kiss desperate and fast and too much like a goodbye that it has Lili letting out a broken sob when he pulled away. “Find me,” he whispered fiercely. “Please, don’t give up. Whatever he does to me, please bring me home.”

"What? No! You can't-" the rest of what she was about to say was cut off when he kissed her again.

"Find me, Lili. Please." he murmured into her lips, and all she could do was nod her head, wishing that time could stop, that he and his siblings could stay. They shared a moment and it was over far too quickly. Suddenly he was being ripped away once again, and she was losing him, for the second time, and yet she didn't cry, because she'd cried for them before and it hadn't brought them back. Fred had taught her to keep her emotions in check, and she was finally able to, steeling herself. KJ turned around, shooting her one last watery smile, and Lili told herself she'd remember that smile, those playful eyes. KJ's gaze flickered over her, landing on his unconscious father, and his face fell.

The redhead looked like he might start towards Fred, before he seemed to remember he and his siblings were no longer to be trusted. "Tell my dad I love him, yeah?"

Before she could try and protest, the boy's lips moved, curling into soundless words that at first, she didn't understand. But after a moment Lili knew exactly what he was saying, thanks to a year of endless stories of the boy from Cheryl Blossom.

Until Next Time.

And Lili was nodding, always nodding; nod, nod, nodding, because she could do nothing else. She watched the three of them stagger away, the boy's clutching their sister, who kept twisting around, flailing in their arms. "No!" her screams had dulled to squeaks and squeals, fighting with every ounce of her strength. But neither of them let her go.

And then they were gone. She could no longer hear the desperate, heartbreaking sounds of Camila screaming for her father. She could no longer hear the gasps and mutters of denial from KJ. Sucking in a deep breath, Lili slowly turned to survey the carnage around her, almost like she was in a daze. FP was saying something, but she couldn’t hear him. Fred wasn’t moving from where he was laid out on the floor, and if Lili hadn’t seen KJ knocking him out, she would think her father was as dead as Hiram. And that was what garnered a reaction out of her, her steely resolve crumbling down around her as she looked at Hiram. He wasn’t her father, but he had been her uncle, someone who helped her train, someone who taught her everything she knew about weapons, and now … now he was dead. Hiram Lodge, who had transformed her from an ugly duckling into a swan-

He was gone.

FP was saying something else, shouting, but it was like Lili was hearing everything from under water. Because it was as she was staring down at the puddle of blood did she catch sight of something that had her heart stopping in her chest. And then she was moving, but then not fast enough, because as soon as it felt like her heart had stopped, adrenaline surged throughout her entire being. Her hands were trembling when she bent down and picked up the rose, pricking herself on a thorn. But there was no pain- she was already numb, suppressing it deep, deep down. She had absolutely no idea where it had come from, only that it was in the vicinity of where Cole had been standing just moments before. But what had her face draining of colour, what had her lungs screaming for oxygen, was the little slip of paper that was wrapped around the stem, pierced in place by thorns.

“FP,” she whispered, voice splintering into pieces. When he didn’t appear to be listening to her, his attention solely focused on the blood that was still spilling steadily from the gunshot wound to Casey’s leg, Lili found herself raising her voice. “FP!”

“What?” FP demanded, staring at her through blurry, unfocused eyes. But when he caught sight of her expression, something in him shifted. “Lili, what is it?” he finally seemed to realise the vacancy in the room, just as Fred Andrews let out a stifled moan, rolling onto his back. But FP didn't look at Fred, or even at the rose in Lili's hands. His feverish eyes were instead flickering around the room, searching for his son.

"Where did the kids go?" FP swallowed and rubbed his chin, before his blue eyes fully focused on what was in Lili's hand.

Lili unrolled the piece of paper and showed it to FP, and she felt the world exploding around her when he registered the words written in elegant cursive script.

‘Compliments of Clifford Blossom’

And then her mother's words were running through her head once more, all those paranoid thoughts imploding inside her skull, shattering her remaining sanity.

"You might want to think twice about taking Clifford's most prize possessions away from him."

She was on her knees before she could help it, tears finally washing down her cheeks. FP was still staring at the rose, but Lili turned her attention to her best friend. She grabbed his hand, choking out a sob. She wasn't losing anyone else. The Serpent kids had gone, surrendering their minds and souls to the Blossom's, and they might as well be dead. And Clifford Blossom was rubbing it in their faces, with one last earth shattering blow to the Serpent parents, after murdering one of their own.

Gripping Kevin's hand for dear life, Lili held back a writhing sob. There was so much blood. It was on her hands, on her clothes, seeping across the floor in a crimson stream. "I'm not losing you too," she hissed fiercely, wrapping her arms around the boy's quivering form. The world seemed to shift out of focus when she curled up next to Kevin, laying her head against his chest. "You hear me, Kev?" her voice teetered on the edge of hysterics when she felt his pulse slow down, his quaking limbs stopped trembling, the boy's panting breath growing thinner. There was a low murmur behind her. FP had snapped out of it and calmly called an ambulance. She didn't move from his side, and when the paramedics arrived, buzzing around him like moth's to a flame, Lili didn't shift when a soft voice told her to get out of the way. She stayed pressed to him, her head on his chest, holding onto every thump of his heart, every breath slipping from his lips.

"You're going to be okay."

* * *

_Three Years Later._

-

It was a humid night. Lili's hair was already starting to stick to the back of her neck, but she didn't feel uncomfortable. Being out there made her feel content, because she knew that being out by the pool, watching the lazy ripples of the clear water, was his favourite place to be. And it was Lili's way of being closer to him, even when she knew he was leagues away. Wincing, Lili caught a glimpse of her own reflection. Sure, she was older. It had been three damn years. All traces of Elizabeth Cooper had been wiped from her expression and she couldn't be happier; her previous bright blue eyes had turned steely and hard, lips twisted into a permanent scowl. Her hair was liquid sunshine against a face so pale as to be striking. The strands flow down her back, stopping in a line around her hips, a slim figure knocked into shape after years of brutal training.

It was far too hot for the middle of May. Riverdale was currently baring the brunt of an unexpected heatwave and after training she had changed out of her usual black sweats and converse, swapping them for a bright yellow sundress that she felt most comfortable in. The dress had been a present from Fred after she'd single-handedly taken down Jimmy Figgis two years ago. It was one of her best achievements, cementing her a real, proper place in the Serpent family. It just sucked that she was the only Serpent kid left. Lili sat back with a sigh, stretching her long legs out. They needed a serious tan.

Today was special. Well, not in her eyes. Lili saw it as just another year without him, without them. But Fred, always being the optimist, was determined to make her birthday the best it could be. Every single year. Even when KJ was gone. Though Fred never forgot her Serpent brother's birthday either. KJ's 18th, 19th and 20th birthday's had been celebrated by the man himself holding a single cupcake lit up with a birthday candle. Fred lost it every year, and Lili hugged him as tight as she could while he struggled to keep it together. It was like holding a funeral every year for a boy who wasn't dead.

But he might as well have been. Unlike the first time their kids were taken, FP Jones and Fred Andrews had fought tooth and nail to get back their kids. But the Blossom's owned the town. Trying to bring them down was a death wish. Plus, Clifford had released a statement that neither of the Serpent kids wanted to leave. They were so-called happy with their new family, and were nicely fitting into the empire. Lili refused to believe it until she saw them herself. But it had been three whole years, and despite scoping the premises at night, even going as far as breaking in via the basement dungeons, and somehow managing to keep total cloak and dagger without getting caught by her mother, she hadn't caught one peek of them. Presently, Lili wasn't even sure if she would recognise either of them. Like her, they must have changed, growing into complete strangers.

Staring into her fragmented reflection glimmering back at her in the glow of the patio lights, Lili smiled softly. Even from where she was sitting by the pool, her legs dangling over the side, lapping at the warm water, she could hear voices from inside the house. She could only imagine the scene playing out in her mind. Fred would be running all over the kitchen, fussing obsessively about what was going on. And she could imagine FP rolling his eyes and begging them to hurry the hell up. And there it was, that brief moment where her smile faltered and she felt her chest tighten. At the thought of her uncle, she couldn't help but close her eyes and slowly exhale. FP acted weird now, especially when it came to special occasions - and especially when it involved birthdays. Fred was the exact opposite, and maybe that was another reason why he looked strained and stressed throughout it all. After all, who would want to celebrate a child's birthday when you didn't have a child anymore? Cole Jones wasn't coming home, and Lili saw it every day in FP’s tight smile, the wrinkles around his eyes. He was falling apart inside, but hell, he wasn't the type to suddenly blurt out his emotions.

When the sliding glass door opened, Lili straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. The muffled voices that she heard from inside the house were now loud and just as exasperated as she expected. It had Lili rolling her eyes, feeling her spirits lifting slightly. Nothing but Serpent banter to make her feel less like she was dying inside. "I swear to God, Fred, there's no need to walk as slow as a fucking snail."

"No-one's asking you to walk by my side the whole way there," Fred replied back without pause.

When Lili lifted her head, her father and uncle were walking awkwardly, their shadows shifting across the far wall, illuminated by a mixture of orange candlelight and the glow from the pool. Fred was clutching a bright green tray covered in- she lost her breath. Cupcakes. Beautiful homemade cupcakes with her name piped on with icing sugar. She didn't move, basking in momentary happiness that caressed her, allowing Lili to let out the first laugh in a long time. It was sputtered, and tears were free-falling down her cheeks, but she was happy. For the what felt like the first time in forever, the world wasn't caving in around her, dragging her into a bottomless pit where she couldn't scream, couldn't reach him no matter how hard she tried... No. This time, there was light. FP and Fred stopped in front of her, the two of them smiling brightly, the light of the candles dancing in eyes that couldn't have been less happier. Completely the opposite. But Lili had lived with their fakes smiles for years now. They didn't bother her. Instead of over-analysing the distant look on her uncle's face, Lili stared down at the candles, counting twenty. She watched their flames dance in a capricious breeze that played with her hair, rippling her dress. "Happy birthday Lili," Fred's voice was soft, and when her gaze flickered to his, he had that look on his face again, and her heart splintered. She was sure some part of him deep, deep down, wished she was KJ, his lost son. She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat.

The two of them sat down, situating themselves so their feet were dangling in the pool, joining her. Lili had never felt so content. Fred set the the cupcakes down on the patio, and FP was digging around in his jacket, no doubt pulling out his phone to take a photo. "Hold on a sec," he grunted. "Freddie, how do I get the damn camera on?"

Fred chuckled, snatching the phone. "Give it here."

“What did I miss?” Lili jumped a little when Casey plopped down next to her. Casey Keller, her best friend. He’d also changed significantly, growing out chestnut hair underneath a knitted black beanie, the ends curling slightly along the nape of his neck. He still had his baby face, striking green eyes a lot softer, more mellow, the same inquisitive smile. She liked to think the Serpent's had softened him over the years, though of course retaining his attitude. Since leaving the Blossom’s, Casey hadn’t exactly become a Serpent, but in Lili’s eyes, he most definitely was one. Sitting there in KJ’s Serpent jacket he refused to take off, a ripped shirt and some skinny jeans rolled up so he could rest his feet in the water, he almost looked relieved, completely at peace with the new person he’d become. He insisted that he was only an ally of the Serpents and not a full-fledged member, but Lili had a sneaking suspicion he was only fooling himself. Sometimes she wondered if he was going to switch sides, since his father was allegiant to the Blossom's. But Lili had quickly realised she wasn't the only reason why he chose to stand with them. Casey wore KJ's jacket like a comfort blanket. Rolling the sleeves up, he let out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re getting old now."

Lili scoffed. He couldn't talk. Casey was twenty one. Their one year age difference had always been something he teased her about. Before she could react, jabbing him with her elbow, or shoving him into the pool, he held out a small package wrapped in bright red tissue paper tied up in black string. Lili stared hard at it, her cheeks going pink. She'd never liked birthday's, even as Elizabeth Cooper. Every year Lili insisted she didn't want any gifts, only settling for a small cake. Her 19th had been different. They had been on assignment, so she had only gotten one (slightly crushed) cupcake while they were on stakeout, as well as new pair of ray bans, and she couldn't have been happier.

"Casey-" Lili's eyebrows furrowed when she took the gift. It was hefty in her hands, and when she slid her fingers through the tissue paper, slowly unwrapping it, he chuckled. "Okay, so I know you said you don't 'do' birthdays," he air quoted the air, and she couldn't resist a laugh. "but seriously, I have a feeling you'll like it."

She turned to him, raising a brow. "So it's not a weed brownie like last year?"

He screwed up his face, shooting a wary glance at the remaining Serpent parents, who were talking in low voices, fussing with the phone. "Fred still hasn't forgiven me."

"I most certainly haven't." Fred cut in from behind her.

Lili tore into the gift, her fingers sliding along something angular and smooth. She pulled it out of its packaging, her breath catching in her throat. It was a knife. The most beautiful knife she'd ever seen which melded perfectly into her hand, the blade glistening in the moonlight when she ran her finger over it, unable to keep the smile off her face. There was a crystal in the hilt, and it reminded her of Cole's eyes. Suddenly she was overcome with emotion, balling her hand into a fist in the creases of her dress. "It's perfect," she said softly, giving Casey a quick hug. She wrapped the knife back up in the paper and set on on the patio, leaning back and kicking her legs in the water.

"Wait, so you actually like it?" he nudged her playfully. "You punched me in the face last year!"

Lili rolled her eyes. "You gave me chocolate cake infused with marijuana."

"Fair point."

She leaned into him. "Thanks, Case. It's beautiful."

"No problem," Casey shrugged. "You needed a new one, since-" he trailed off, and her lip twitched at the memory. Her last knife had ended up buried in the abdomen of Nicholas Scratch, a mobsters son who had underestimated her power as the last Serpent kid. Lili couldn't be bothered pulling it out. She'd left him alive, he could do it himself.

"Lili." Fred snapped her out of the memory, and she turned towards the cupcakes he had picked up again, hovering them in front of her face. Casey and FP smiled at her, their faces cast in a sweet, orangeade glow, and she sighed against a wall of emotion that was pushing her to the edge of that cliff. But Lili forced herself to smile, because she was surrounded by what was left of her family to celebrate her birthday. And as she closed her eyes and blew out those candles, the curl of smoke twisting around the wax numbers of 20, there was only one wish she had. And it was the same wish she had given for three years now. Every birthday, she became more desperate, never losing her faith.

Bring them home. Bring him home.

* * *

_Epilogue._

_-_

Lili really didn't feel like dancing.

Someone roughly bumped into her, causing her to stumble on her feet before righting herself, the guy shouting out a half-hearted apology before forgetting her completely, lost to the beat of the music and the company of his companions. Lili blinked and swallowed thickly, feeling equally as lost in a crowd of people who had absolutely no idea just how badly the world was crumbling, leaving her to traverse rubble that kept falling around her. Because that was exactly what it felt like to her. All around her, people were smiling and laughing and having the time of their lives, but there she stood, surrounded by hundreds of them, and she felt … she felt … empty. There was a piece of her missing and the very idea of moving on felt foreign and so completely wrong.

Maybe that was why Fred had put the idea of college on the table, why he went out of his way to explain why he wanted something like that for her, even though he knew it was the last thing she wanted to even think about. Because the world was going on without her, and Lili was the only thing preventing herself from pressing onward, no matter how hard it felt, no matter how impossible. And yet …

And yet …

And yet … no matter how much she tried to justify to herself that moving on might be what she needed … she could still hear Cole’s voice in her head, his words forever ingrained along the base of her heart. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the scared, heartbroken look in his bright blue eyes – eyes that spoke of regret and longing, of fear and pain. If Lili were to close her eyes and allow her mind to take her back to that moment three years, two months, three weeks, and six days ago, she would find herself clinging desperately to Cole’s hands as he clung back to hers. Lili would stare into teary blue eyes; would listen to the boy she’d fallen in love with beg her not to forget him. To find him. And Lili knew in that very second to ignore Cole’s final pleas before he was forced to go back to Clifford Blossom would be the biggest mistake of her life. She knew she would never be able to forgive herself. And that was why she couldn’t move on, why she allowed the world to pass her by while she stayed in a single moment. Because to be in a world where Cole wasn’t holding her or smiling at her, where he wasn’t mocking her or kicking her ass in training, it would be endlessly sad. To go a day without KJ making her laugh or playing video games, to go a day without Camila dragging her off to simply talk in her room … it meant nothing. All of it, college, a chance at a better life, it all meant nothing if they weren’t in her life to share it with. If he wasn’t in her life to experience all of the good and bad moments, then there was no point.

She let out a shaky breath before blinking away the tears that had caused her vision to blur and turned toward Casey. She was surprised to find him just standing there, staring at her, and Lili forced herself to wipe away the tears and move closer to him. The waves of people, of strangers, dancing around them had drifted them in two different directions, and Lili forced her way back through the crowd to join her friend’s side. He immediately pulled her to him, as though he could somehow sense her distress. She wanted to chide herself for showing such emotion, but who would see it? Who would care enough? She was standing in a crowded room full of hundreds of people, but she might as well have been standing alone.

“You’re not even trying, Lili,” Casey said into her ear, a disappointed look on his face. Lili had to steel herself against another current of emotions that assailed her, but she couldn’t lie, couldn’t pretend that everything was okay when it was far from it. But they all already knew that – Fred, FP, and Casey. They knew.

“I can’t do this,” Lili called, raising her voice to be heard over the laughter, screams, and music. She felt dizzy with the way the orbs of light flitted across the room, bathing them all in reds, and blues, greens and yellows and purples. “I know what you’re trying to do, but I can’t pretend that they aren’t out there somewhere. I have to find them, Casey. I need to bring them home for good this time.”

Something crossed Casey’s face, an expression that she couldn’t quite distinguish. Guilt rocked through her, causing her to feel small and insignificant. It was only a momentary thing, an instantaneous sensation that flitted through her only briefly before she wrangled control over it and forced it away from her entirely, because she wasn’t broken, wasn’t useless, wasn’t weak. She wasn’t Betty Cooper anymore, that scared, little girl who had fought to get away from the Serpent Kids. No, she was Lili Andrews, son of Fred Andrews, sister to KJ, to Camila Lodge. And she was in love with Cole Jones. She was feared by many and wanted by even more. And she would not feel guilt for the way she thought and felt and believed. To give into that guilt and fear would mean giving into the weakness, and she wasn’t that person anymore.

Casey ran his hands over his face before nodding his head, as though he expected nothing else, despite the disappointment. “I know you aren’t going to change your mind.”

“Then what are we doing here?” she found herself demanding, the need to go back home and lose herself in the search clawing at her insides, making her feel shaky. “If you already knew I wasn’t going to change my mind then why did you think it was a good idea to take me here?”

To her surprise, Casey laughed, a barking sound that was humourless and dry. He took her arm and moved closer, ignoring the people he bumped into as he learned forward, disbelief now visible on his face. “Will you take a step back and look at yourself for one second, Lili? You’re killing yourself! All you have done for the past three years is spend hours in the gym and even longer hours behind that laptop of yours. And when you aren’t doing those things, you’re gone! And no-one knows where you go off to. Fred has already lost KJ. Do you want him to lose the only child he has left?” His words weren’t at all what she was expecting. His voice started off at a volume that was only intended for him to be heard over the multiple noises that threatened to deafen him, but the more he spoke, he angrier he appeared to be getting. Lili cringed back, her throat tightening, because not only did Casey sound angry, but he also sounded worried. Terrified. And not for the situation with Clifford Blossom, but for her. He was scared for her. "I brought you here tonight, because I need your mind somewhere else right now. For once, I need you to think about yourself, to stop thinking about bringing them back. Lili, I need you to feel something besides this obsession.”

“I don’t know how to do that right now,” Lili said, shaking her head. That hopeless feeling was coming back, the same one she had felt when she was in the kitchen with Fred.

Casey smiled sadly. “I know. All I’m asking for is a couple of hours. Can we be normal for a few hours and just try to forget the fact that a psychopathic lunatic has kidnapped your siblings, please?” At his words, Lili found herself laughing. It didn’t necessarily sound like she was laughing over something funny. It sounded more broken and foreign, like she hadn’t done so in a very long time. “And a drink,” Casey added after a moment. “I could really use a drink. You?” And Lili found herself hesitating for a moment, her brows furrowing as she scanned the room, her green eyes immediately finding the nearest exit. The need to go through those doors hadn’t left her, but when she felt Casey’s hand curl through her fingers, Lili bit down on her bottom lip and turned back to face him. “Just a few hours, Lili. That’s all I’m asking.”

Her reaction to even being in the club was reason enough for her to accept the fact that she was too involved in finding KJ, Camila, and Cole that she has forgotten everything else around her. Because it was an obsession, this need to find them, and it was developing into a problem that was unhealthy and compulsive. Her immediate reaction after her siblings had left, had run out of the house and disappeared into the night, had been to follow them, and maybe she had in her own way. She was still following their tracks, desperate to find some sign that they were around, that they were near. And, to follow along with the analogy, she hadn’t drifted from the path. And she wasn’t completely blinded. Lili knew that this obsession was worrying her family. That Fred was anxious whenever she left without a word, when she isolated herself and barely said a word for days when she was following a lead. And she knew FP was equally as worried.

And there was Casey, who came and went, who assisted the Serpents when they were running low on bodies, when Lili refused to take assignments, because she was working on her own. Casey was there. And he was there now, pulling her from her room and her solitude and her mind, all because he was afraid she would lose herself entirely in this hunt.

“Only two?” she finally said, her tone hesitant, as though the words tasted odd on her tongue. But when they slipped past her lips, she felt … almost relieved. And it felt weird, that sensation, because it almost felt like she was giving herself permission to step away from this mission, this assignment that had become her life since she watched KJ, Camila, and Cole disappear into the night. But as soon as that sensation came over her, another formed at the pit of her stomach, causing her to feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, because she shouldn’t be having fun. Shouldn’t be giving into it when they were in hell. In the clutches of the very man they had been running and hiding from for almost half of their lives.

Her green eyes widened and flickered up when she felt Casey’s hands fold over hers, giving them a comforting squeeze. “Two hours. I just want to hang out and be with my best friend again. Can we do that? I really want to talk to you about this guy I’ve met and run across a few times. He’s name is Fangs and I’m kind of smitten right now.”

She could do this. For two hours – because any longer than that felt like agony – she could put aside her obsessive need and at least try to act and pretend to be normal. For Casey. For her dad and FP. For herself. Swallowing down the myriad of excuses that were bubbling inside of her, Lili tried to force a smile to her face. It probably looked as fake as it felt, but she felt pleased when Casey smiled back at her. “Yeah, okay. Tell me about Fangs.”

And Casey did. At first, it was hard for her to keep her attention solely focused on what Casey was actually saying to her, her mind adrift, constantly being pulled back to the months tacked to her wall, a daily reminder of how far KJ, Camila, and Cole were getting from her. Her searching meant nothing if she couldn’t wrangle in results, and at the moment, that was exactly what was happening. A lot of something, and nothing to show for it. It took a lot of concentration on her part, but Lili found herself taking in more of what Casey was saying. Something about Fangs and how incredibly blue his eyes were. He was all dark and rouged handsomeness – Lili tried not to flinch at the description, her mind easily finding its way to Cole, with his dark hair and bright blue eyes that shone like diamonds – and a Casey was enamoured by the way he handled a gun.

“I swear to God, Lili, he took that gun apart and put it together, and he might as well have propositioned me to climb into his bed, because I was seconds away from ripping my clothes off right then and there.”

Lili let out a bark of a laugh. It still sounded off, rusty from disuse, but it must have been a plus that she had even been able to make the sound for a second time that night. “Jesus, Casey. Where did your dignity go?”

“I think I lost it somewhere between getting lost in Fangs' eyes and thinking about his ass in the shower."

As Casey continued to talk to her about his new crush, Lili found herself being led through the throngs of people that were moving with the pulse of the music. It was some pop song about wanting to get into trouble, and a part of Lili had to admit that the beat had her nodding her head along with everyone else’s, her body slowly loosening up the more Casey’s mindless words filled her ears. Yeah, Lili thought as she pressed herself closer to her friend to allow a few people pass by in a more congested area. She could do this. She could compartmentalise and priorities her missions a little better. Right now, her mission for two hours was hanging out with Casey. And despite the fact that she felt her heart beating erratically the longer she thought about going without some kind of search, she knew that it was the right thing to do. She wouldn’t find KJ, Camila, and Cole in two hours, and even though every fibre of her being was telling her otherwise, she needed to take a moment for herself. Otherwise, what good would she be to her missing family? To him?

The bar had finally come into view, and it was then that Lili realised how thirsty she actually was. Being surrounded on all sides by half-drunken bodies certainly had a way of generating a lot of body heat, and Lili’s pale skin was glistening with perspiration. A tall glass of water, maybe a strawberry daiquiri, was exactly what she needed to calm the nerves that were causing havoc inside of her. The new lessons her father and FP had drilled into her were a little harder to push to the side. Her green eyes flickered over the bodies, taking stock of what was around. Anything and everything could be used as a weapon, and Lili had made it a mission to count as many as she could before walking herself into any given situation. It was as her eyes were taking in her new surroundings did something out of the ordinary catch her attention, causing her pace to slow gradually.

Not that Casey took notice of this. At least, not at first. “And his voice! Honestly, Lili, you would instantly drool if you heard that drawl. He is the epitome, the embodiment of a walking –” His brows furrowed when he finally realised she had come to a stop. “What’s wrong? It is something I said?”

His words were lost on her as she stared at a dark-skinned woman sitting at the very corner of the bar. She was wearing a silver dress that hugged her narrow curves, her wrists adorned with golden bracelets. There was a drink sitting in front of her, but the woman didn’t seem to have noticed it, because her dark gaze was fixed down the bar on something, and Lili could recognise that laser-type focus. She didn’t understand why, but her body immediately broke into a cold sweat, and she could hear the blood rushing through her veins as she slowly followed the woman’s gaze, her eyes instantly welling up with tears – though she couldn’t tell if they were from happiness or not – when she found exactly who the woman was looking at. Guarding. Because there was no other way to describe the territorial way her body was angled.

Camila.

All of the noise around her – the beat and rhythm of the music, the laughter and happy chatter of the people in the bar – was drowned out as Lili stared at Camila, her sister, someone who had become more memory than an actual being, but there she was, sitting at the bar, and Lili couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She looked so different in Lili’s eyes. There was a maturity that wasn’t there before, an aged look in her eyes as she stared down at the drink in her hand. And Lili couldn’t help but marvel at just how beautiful her sister was. Her breath shuddered and she took a small step forward, her green eyes taking in Camila’s long, wavy dark brown hair that was styled in twists and braids. Camila looked so stunning, Lili was sure that she was imagining things, imagining her, because there was no way she was sitting at the bar in the very club she had been forced to go to. There was no way.

But she knew instantly that what she was seeing was no mirage, no symptom to being cramped up around hundreds of people. She knew this, because from beside her, she felt Casey tense up, his entire body freezing on the stop, a hiss of surprise passing through his lips. “Oh, my God.”

“Casey,” breathed Lili, unable to look away from Camila, too afraid that, if she did, she would turn back and her sister would be gone. “Please tell me I’m not losing my mind.” She had to stifle a sob, the emotion coming out of nowhere and taking her by complete surprise. “Please tell me she’s there.”

“I …” Her elbow shot out and she jabbed Casey in the side, eliciting another hiss – this time, from pain. But Lili didn’t care. She needed him to focus, needed him to be the strong one in the moment, because she couldn’t. “Yes,” Casey finally replied, sounding just as stunned and disbelieving as she felt. “My God, that’s Camila.”

And that was all Lili needed to know, to hear, before she was pushing past the people around her, uncaring that she was rough or that her elbows were knocking into flesh. All she knew was that her sister was just at the bar and it had been three years since Lili had seen her or heard anything of significant value, of anything that held any substantial wait, but it didn’t matter anymore, none of it did, because Camila was there and –

“Wha –” Lili gasped out when she felt an arm wrap around her waist and drag her back, pressing her against one of the many supportive columns that lined the inside of the bar. The action jarred her, but the moment she was able to catch her bearings, Lili was struggling against Casey’s grip, her eyes still unable to drift from her sister. “What are you doing? Stop!”

“Enough,” Casey growled into her ear, and maybe it was because she was so focused, so driven, that she could hear his low voice over the plethora of sounds in the club, but if she wasn’t mistaken, he sounded almost … afraid. “I get that you want to see your sister. I really do, Betty, but I want you to actually take stock of your surroundings. You caught side of her before you even saw Camila. Remember?”

She didn’t care! Lili angled her body and tried to land her elbow into Casey’s stomach, but her friend easily anticipated the movement and wrapped his other arm around her, pinning her arms to her body. For anyone who happened to glance over at them, it would look like an embrace, his chest to her back, but it was anything but. Lili felt like she wanted to scream, the blood pumping through her, the adrenaline making her dizzy with lack of energy, with lack of movement, but no matter how much she struggled, there was no getting out of Casey’s firm grip. Somehow, against everything she was feeling, Lili found her gaze shifting from Camila to the girl further down the bar. She had barely moved a muscle, a single finger running around the rim of her glass. There was something deadly about the way she looked, like she could easily kill someone without breaking a sweat, without missing a stride.

Casey’s arms slowly started to relax, but Lili knew there was no way she was going to be breaking his hold. “Her name is Josie McCoy. Or it was. She goes by Ashleigh now.”

“Who is she?” Lili demanded, ignoring the odd look she got from a guy that was passed her by. “What does she want with Camila?”

“She’s like me – or who I used to be.” And there was something haunting in Casey’s voice, something that both amazed and fearful. Swallowing thickly, Lili turned her head up and looked at her friend. He was staring wide-eyed at Josie – Ashleigh, whatever name she went by – with a spark of recognition, and it had her mind going into overdrive. “She’s like I was with Cheryl. I – it looks like she’s Camila’s bodyguard.”

"Bodyguard?" Lili furrowed her brow, confusion in his voice. She opened her mouth to say something, but she found herself unable when Casey sucked in another lungful of breath, his body once again going tense, his arms locking around her waist. Lili squirmed for only a moment before falling still, her heart once again going into overdrive by Casey's sudden reaction to ... something. "What is it? Casey!"

"Shut up," he hissed, pressing the both of them further up against the support column. "Do you see the guy in leather? The one that's actually behind the bar?" It took Lili a moment to find exactly who Casey was talking about, but when she did, she was surprised she didn't notice him before. He stood out, easily, but somehow he didn't ... His eyes were dark and his hair a jet black, and there seemed to be a permanent scowl plastered to his face, but patrons of the bar still came over to him, asking for drinks. And he served them, though it was clear his focus was elsewhere.

"And who is he?" Lili found herself asking. "Another bodyguard?" When Casey nodded his head, biting down on his bottom lip, Lili's breath started coming out in quick pants. Her green eyes watered all the more and she knew that answer before she even voiced the question, because she had to know. She had to know. "Who is he guarding?"

Casey didn't say anything, never had the chance to, because no sooner had the query slip past her lips did she then catch sight of familiar red hair. Lili's eyes widened all the more when she caught sight of her brother. It had been three long years, and the sight of him stunned her, because ... he looked incredible. And only after the thought came to her that she felt a twinge of anger and frustration, of sadness, because they had been taken from her, from FP and Fred, stolen against their will, and to know that they looked fine, that they looked well-cared for ... it left a bad taste in Lili's mouth. But there was no denying he looked good. His red hair was a little longer than it had been before, but it was styled that way. Strands fell into his eyes while others were meticulously spiked, almost like he had bed-head. What really caught Lili's attention was the muscles. He had gotten buff, his biceps straining slightly against the sleeves of his white button-up shirt -- a shirt that was currently being held open by two middle buttons, revealing a view of his chest and a little stomach.

Behind her, she could practically feel Casey's heart jump, and while she felt equally as surprised and shocked by KJ, Lili had a feeling Casey's reaction was for an entirely different reason. "Jesus Christ, KJ- I - I mean Archie ...he got hot."

And in any other circumstance, Lili would have rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation, but Lili barely registered the words that left his mouth. All of her focus was centred on KJ in that moment, soaking him in, taking in the things she could easily pull up from her memory - the warmth of his brown eyes, the joyous laugh that was infectious - and comparing them to the things that were completely different and foreign to her now - the emptiness in his eyes that seemed to seep away the warm brown colour, the deep-set frown that made her brother look like a complete stranger. It was all too much Lili soon found herself leaning into Casey, suddenly grateful that he was there.

Her eyes drifted back to the dark-skinned bodyguard - Ashleigh - and to the guy behind the counter. He was a big guy - bigger than KJ - and he was adorned in everything black. She was shocked to see a thick leather jacket covering his arms, because it was hot enough in the club to have Lili sweating, and she was only wearing a green dress that fell past her knees. How he was able to function, let alone look so at ease in leather was beyond her. The thought was fleeting, however, when she noticed the guy look over and immediately catch the eye of Ashleigh, an exchange of words being communicated with just their eyes.

"His name is Jordan." And that was all Lili needed to know that there was bad blood involved between the two. She wondered if there was between Casey and Ashleigh, too. Had they been close? Were they angry that Casey left? Did they think of him a traitor?

Traitor. The last time she had heard that word spoken with disgust and loathing had been three years ago. Right before a second gunshot fired that night in her home. Turning slightly in Casey's arms, Lili felt her throat closing up, her heart pounding in her ears, blood rushing throughout her entire body, making her almost shake with the need to do something, anything. "We have to do something, Casey.”

“Oh, I know.” Him pulling out his mobile wasn’t exactly the kind of action Lili had in mind. She looked from it to him and then back again, trying to figure out where his head was at. And then, a little too slowly, realisation dawned and Lili found herself torn. “Casey, wait –”

But Casey was already shaking his head. “No way in hell, Lili. We are not going to get ourselves killed, because we’re not thinking straight. We are calling Fred Andrews and FP Jones, and they’re going to come here and get their damn kids.”

“There isn’t time!” And there wasn’t. They had no idea how long KJ and Camila had been there, for how much longer they were going to stay, and there was no way she was going to just let them walk out of her life again. She couldn’t let it happen again. Because she couldn’t shake the image of her father slipping into KJ’s room at least three times a week, because he didn’t want to lose his son’s scent, because she couldn’t let go of the picture of FP sitting in Cole’s favourite spot in the house, just waiting and praying and wishing he’d see him walking back home. Because for three years, Lili had dedicating her life in finding them. Just as she had for the year they were missing before. The very idea of letting them leave had Lili’s heart racing. But as Lili peered up at Casey, expecting sympathy and understanding, all she got was a hard, impatient look. She gasped when he grabbed her roughly, jerking her closer. “Hey –”

“Listen to me, goddamn it!” Casey snarled, going so far as to shake her, completely jarring her from her thoughts. “Look around you! Do you have any idea the lengths Clifford Blossom would go to just to keep them?” He leaned in close, and in that moment, Lili could see the panic in those blues. “If KJ and Camila are here, that means this place is swarming with Clifford’s men. There is no way in hell they would let your siblings go out unprotected, knowing Fred and FP would take them back. If you try to approach them, not only will they be swept away, but we’ll find ourselves dead. And to be frank with you, I kinda want to live.”

Logically, Lili knew that Casey was right. Logically, she knew that the Serpent kids were incredibly important to Clifford Blossom and that he wouldn’t simply let them on their own. Anyone could take them; anyone could hurt them. The Blossom Empire and the Serpents were huge rivals, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were the only two at war with each other. Riverdale wasn’t a safe place and the whole town was divided, allies shifting to accommodate for common goals. To let them on their own meant risking the foundation, and that wasn’t something Clifford Blossom would ever do. He valued control too much. Logically, Lili understood what Casey was saying, but … three years.

“Yeah, I …” Lili inhaled slowly and nodded her head. “Okay. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to call Fred and FP and get them to come down here. Maybe bring reinforcements? I don’t fucking know. Just stand here and do not go anywhere, Lili, I swear to God –”

“I’m not going anywhere. Just call them and tell them to hurry up,” said Lili, pressing herself against the support column when Casey deemed her safe to not run off.

Wrapping her arms around herself, her attention immediately went back to KJ and Camila. It took her breath away seeing them again, to see them standing there and, before she was aware of it, her eyes were watering once more. Finally, it felt like hope wasn’t just an imaginary thing. It felt like something tangible, something she could reach out and touch, something she could curl into the palms of her hands and nurture and tend to until it was a living and breathing thing.

And, God, she needed it to be him.

“Yeah, Fred, it’s me. Listen, you need to get down to La Bonne Nuit.” It felt real now. Not that it wasn’t before, but knowing that Casey was calling her father and uncle … it was the childish part of her that felt safer knowing that her father would be able to fix the situation, make it less scary. Lili blew out a deep breath and watched as KJ shifted slightly on his feet, his bodyguard, Jordan, mirroring the action with eerie precision from behind the bar. “Lili found them.”

And Lili could imagine the scene of Fred’s reaction perfectly. She could imagine his face hardening, because he wouldn’t want to get his hopes up. He couldn’t handle it again. She could imagine his fist clenching tightly, his knuckles turning white, because the disappointment of being wrong, of having a part of KJ once again ripped from his fingertips … The difference, of course, was this was no mistake. Lili watched as KJ reached for a glass of water that was procured for him by Jordan, and she felt her eyes narrowing, brows furrowing, senses going into overdrive when she saw something wrapped around his wrist. At first she thought it was a manacle, a thick dark brown thing encircling his wrist, but it couldn’t be that. Taking a small step forward, head inclining, Lili stared until she felt herself freeze, because she knew exactly what that looked like. Barbs of thorns, the sharp ends coloured a dark, vivid red, resembling something like blood.

She knew she wasn’t the only one to notice this, because she heard Casey stumbling over his words when he caught sight of KJ’s tattoo. “I – Fred, I’m looking at him right now. It’s KJ. Camila is here, too.”

At the mention of her sister’s name, Lili found her gaze snapping back over to where she was sitting. She looked enchanting in her red dress, and Lili was surprised that no-one had tried to approach her yet. Lili couldn’t imagine no-one taking notice of her, but then again, if what Casey said was true and this place was crawling with Clifford Blossom’s men, Lili supposed it made sense. If they had seen someone try to move toward Camila, they would have been dealt with discreetly. Casey’s words were a hum of sounds, and Lili dug her nails into her closed fists as she trailed her green eyes over her sister, search for … something. The idea of KJ having a thorn tattoo wrapped around his wrist had Lili’s stomach roil uncomfortably, an even worse sensation blossoming as her eyes finally landed on the calf of Camila’s left leg. Dark green vines curved up her ankle and sprouted erratically along the back of her calf, a strong looking stem taming the wild leaves. It stopped just below her knee, but Lili could imagine a chain locked around her ankle, keeping her in place, binding her to a single spot. It was unnerving and terrifying and she felt Casey’s hand curl around her elbow, and only then did she realise she had been drifting forward again.

“No, I haven’t seen him,” Casey said, voice sounding rushed and low, like he had no idea who was listening and wanted to keep his conversation discreet. “I can’t – oh … oh, my God …” Casey’s surprised, terrified voice had Lili’s attention snapping back to him, her eyes wide with alarm, and it was only when she saw his eyes locked on a place past her that Lili felt her insides start to turn to ice. Because they had found KJ and Camila, had them in their sights, which meant …

Swallowing down the rising panic that was threatening to suffocate her, Lili slowly turned her head in the direction Casey was gaping towards. The area under observation was just off to the side of the bar, a little nook that was still very much a part of the scene, but sectioned off by screens and string lights that dangled down from the ceiling. It seemed almost disorienting, with flashing orbs that travelled along the club in irregular motions, which was probably why it took Lili a moment to catch sight of what had Casey look and sound so stunned, but when she finally caught on, when her gaze finally latched on … everyone else around her vanished, and Lili found herself totally and completely captivated in both amazement and horror.

There was a middle-aged man sitting on one of the couches, wearing what appeared to be a suit and tie. He had dark hair that was slicked back and a nose that was crooked, like it had been broken in several places over the years. He looked like a petty criminal that was trying to fit in with the people that mattered, and was doing a horrible job at it, but it wasn’t necessarily his appearance that had Lili’s heart pounding against her rib-cage. It was the boy that was straddling his legs and leering over him with a dark grin on his face that had Lili break into a cold sweat. And suddenly, there was no-one in the club, no-one brushing up against her, no music thrumming through the air, no scent of cheap cologne or musk. It was only the boy –

Cole.

A strangled sound left Lili’s throat, her hands immediately moving to cover her mouth, as though to restrain herself from crying out his name, from screaming out in pure relief, because he was right there, just by the bar. He wasn’t a figment of her imagination, wasn’t a memory, a dream. He was real and true, and even from behind, he was beautiful. His hair was rich and dark, constantly changing hues when the flashing lights danced along the room, and Lili wanted more than anything to just rush over to him and pull him into her arms and feel him, hold him, run her hands through his hair, stare into those gorgeous blue eyes – eyes that resembled diamonds when the light struck them just right. She wanted to cry and hold him, laugh and trail he fingers along the side of his face. She wanted to pull him closer and press her lips against his, to feel what she had felt three years before, to see if what she had felt then would be magnified all the more. Because Lili hadn’t forgotten what it had felt like to kiss him, could closer her eyes and relish in the way his eyes had slid closed, his long, black lashes tickling her face and having her heart swell with emotions she had never felt before. She wanted –

Her thoughts were shattered when the middle-aged man tensed and bulked into Cole, her throat tightening when she saw Cole shifting to accommodate the new position, his hands hidden from view. Lili felt her brows furrowing, her unease growing all the more when she saw Cole raising his brows, as though daring the man to … to do something, Lili didn’t know. But it was unnerving and terrifying and she felt Casey’s hands curl around her wrist, his grip stiff and tense, and she knew that he was watching with the same dread as she was. Because something wasn’t wrong, and she hadn’t seen Cole in three years, and while her mind was conjuring one imagine of him in her head, the reality she was witnessing was something else entirely.

“I – no, I’m here, I’m here,” Casey said, voice trembling. “Tell … Christ, tell FP I see him. I see Cole.”

But was it truly him? The vision she had of him warred with the boy before her eyes, straddling some man, and what was he even doing? She watched as Cole cocked his head and leaned in, and from what Lili could tell, the middle-aged man was whispering something into his ear, telling him something, and she saw Cole shift again, the man reacting almost immediately, and only when she saw the man’s eyes flash did she realise Cole was … that Cole was hurting him. She couldn’t tell exactly what he was doing, but the man had his hand on Cole’s hip, fingers digging into his narrow waist, and Lili’s gaze flickered over to where Camila and KJ were at, and she saw that her siblings were leaning forward slightly, their eyes locked on Cole – not on the man, but on Cole, just as mesmerized. There was an empty glean in Camila’s eyes, an emotionless shark grin on KJ’s.

Lili’s attention was pulled back to Cole when she heard a hissing sound of pain, and she was surprised she was even able to hear it at all with all the other noise that was going on in the bar, but this was Cole – Cole – and maybe that was all the explanation she needed. Her mouth gaped open when she saw him grip the man’s hair and jerk his head back, and there were two things that had Lili lurching forward and being pulled back, a spike of adrenaline pulsing through her body like electrical currents. The first was how sexual the whole situation seemed from a distance. The man’s hand on Cole’s hip, the way Cole was straddling the man and pressed against him. It was suggestive and when other people happened to glance over, they smirked and whispered conspiratorially to themselves before moving on. No-one approached them, no-one even questioned the position, and only after a moment did Lili realise that it was the suggestiveness of that position that allowed Cole to do what he was doing. Because now that she could see through the rouse, she could see just how much in pain the man was. Cole was dragging his head backward, revealing his neck, and Lili watched as Cole picked himself up on his knees and leaned over him, pressing his lips to the man’s ear. And that’s when she noticed the second thing, and surprisingly, it was the reason for why she swayed on her feet, her face bleeding of colour, and from behind her, she heard Casey gasping, a string of curses slipping past his lips, because Cole’s arms – now muscular and lean – were covered in black roses. What few leaves there were connected each one together, startling, vivid roses that trailed from his wrist, up his arm, and disappeared into the sleeves of the black shirt he was wearing, the fabric straining as his back muscles moved with each shift of his body.

And then he was climbing off of the man, his movements slow and methodical and, holding to the rouse, suggestive, hips swaying, the man’s hand falling away from him. Lili felt the tears burning her eyes when he turned, and it was the first time in three years that she was able to get a look at his face. She didn’t bother concealing the sob that wracked through her, the puzzling looks she got from the other patrons completely forgotten when she caught sight of the bags under his eyes, the only imperfection on his otherwise perfect face. The colour of his eyes were constantly changing as the orbs of light rotated over him, causing the tattoos on his arms to shift and alter in appearance, as though they were living things coiled around his arms. Lili barely felt Casey’s arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. The mobile was still pressed to his ear, his words stinging together into gibberish, because she couldn’t look away. Especially when Lili happened to glance down and see what Cole had in his hands, and her eyes widened all the more when she saw him twirling a knife between his fingers – a knife that was covered in blood. Lili’s gaze snapped over to the man, and she realised now why she only saw one of his hands. The man’s arm was a tattered mess, cuts and nicks that started off small but made bigger the more he resisted and fought with Cole. And his fingers were bent at odd angles, his wrist puffy and curled into his abdomen, as though he were trying to protect it and himself. Christ, Cole had been torturing this person in the middle of a club, and no-one had batted an eye –

Cole cocked his head and glanced down at the man, his lips moving to form words, the hint of a smirk playing on his face. He was actually pointing the knife at the man, and God, no-one was paying any attention. Lili’s head began to spin as she watched Cole turn and start moving toward KJ, who immediately pushed himself away from where he was against the bar. Jordan dropped the towel he had over his leather-clad shoulder and easily hopped over the bar, falling a step behind KJ. When Cole was halfway toward KJ, a guy stepped out of the crowd, putting up a hand to stop Cole from walking. Cole’s face shuddered, a flicker of irritation washing over him before it was wiped way completely.

“Who is that?” Lili breathed, feeling the rise and fall of her chest. When her friend said nothing, Lili elbowed him, once again feeling that irrational anger at him not being the one in control of their emotions, because out of the two of them, she really needed him to keep a level head. “Casey!”

He blinked and shook his head, his face paling all the more. “Uh, that’s … shit, that’s Reggie.”

“Another bodyguard?”

“Yeah,” Casey nodded his head, his knuckles white where he held the phone against his ear. “He must be Cole’s.”

Wiping the tears from her eyes, trying to reign in some semblance of control – a control that was only being held together by the force of her will – Lili saw KJ move forward, stopping beside Reggie. Holding out his hand, Reggie waited until Cole handed him the knife before he passed it on to KJ, and her brother was moving, quickly taking the place Cole had been moments before. Throwing a leg over the man’s thighs, Lili couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw KJ quickly covering the guy, capturing the man's lips in a kiss. It was something the guy clearly hadn’t been expecting, because he immediately bulked, but KJ seemed prepared for that, because his arm shifted in a downward direction and Lili realised why too late. The hand that had been grasping tightly to KJ’s shirt immediately dropped, and when KJ stood up, the man was no longer moving. The knife was handed over to Jordan, and he slipped it into the pocket of his leather jacket, uncaring of the blood coating it, before wrapping a hand around KJ’s bicep.

They moved as one. Her sister and her bodyguard stood, the latter closing the distance between them, her hand encircling Camila’s wrist, pulling her towards where KJ and Jordan were moving. And that was when Lili felt her insides twist uncomfortably, the panic immediately forming, because no, no, she couldn’t lose them again, couldn’t stand to watch them turn around and leave, to disappear into the darkness of the club, a setting so different, yet so similar to that horrible night three years ago where they were forced to leave, to return to Clifford Blossom. Lili felt Casey’s arm around her shoulders tighten, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling.

“Don’t even think about it,” Casey hissed into her ear.

Anger spiked through her and Lili was getting ready to open her mouth when she caught sight of Cole. He hadn’t moved far, Reggie shifting around him, but what stopped Lili in her tracks, what had her freezing entirely was when Cole locked his eyes on her. There was no recognition. No flicker of emotion. Only a cocking of his head, something so completely animalistic, so inhuman that she thought she was going to lose it completely. And when he started toward her, Casey yanked her back behind the support column, his whispered words a hiss as he told Fred and FP to hurry the hell up, because they just witnessed Cole torture a man, and who knew what he would do when he got to them. Her fingers were digging into the wood of the support column when Reggie was stepping in front of Cole, stopping him in his tracks. Reggie’s arms were raised, and Lili had the distinct impression it was to both garner his attention and to keep Cole at a distance, almost like he was afraid to touch him. The look on his face said otherwise, however.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I saw –”

“It doesn’t matter what you saw,” Reggie interrupted, and Lili didn’t miss the way Cole’s mouth immediately snapped shut, his shoulders straightening at the authoritative tone of his bodyguard’s voice. “You came here for a mission. Did you complete it?”

“Yes. The information has been obtained,” Cole said, and he was close enough to where Lili could hear his voice and it was beautiful and familiar, yet devoid of emotion. She felt pressure building in her throat.

“You report back to your father once your missions are complete. There’s no reason for anything else.” And that was that. Reggie motioned for Cole to turn around and start walking, and after a clenched jaw and a tight nod, Cole did exactly that.

Lili watched in amazement as Reggie manoeuvred around Cole, shoving people out of his way, using his hands and arms to bracket Cole into what looked like a bubble, directing the way he moved and herding him through less crowded clusters of people until he was back to where KJ and Camila were standing with their bodyguards. And once they were together did they all file out through a side exit, the door swinging closed a moment later. No-one had yet to notice the man that was still exactly where they left him.

“Holy shit,” Casey breathed, astonished and horrified and equally as dumbfounded as Lili felt. “They … they just tortured and killed a guy. Fred –”

And that was the exact moment when Lili ripped herself from Casey and ducked out of the way when he lunged for her, the adrenaline inside of her finally being directed to something useful, the energy surging through her enough to have her weaving effortlessly through the patrons in the club. It was agonising having to twist and shift and alter her steps, but it was also a good cover, because Casey was bigger than she was, required more space, but there was none. Lili used it to her advantage. She couldn’t let them disappear again. She had no plan, no idea what she was going to do when she caught up with them, but Cole had looked at her, had started moving toward her. That had to mean something. It had to. But when she finally got to the side exit, when she shoved the doors open and stumbled out into the night, she felt her heart shattering into what felt like a million pieces, because all she was met with was an empty parking lot. They had come and gone like ghosts, and Lili shivered into the night.

* * *

**fin. (for now) **


	16. Chapter 16

**Rewriting this! after re-reading this whole thing, i uh, ive come to the conclusion that ive grown as a writer,,, sort of. ive also realised that the first 5 chapters are so hard to read (with my own eyes) its painful. I think at the time i just WROTE, Without thinking about editing, or if it looked A<strike> TOTAL MESS. </strike>**

**Cole's eye colour kept ** **changing. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, GIRL, ARE THEY BLUE, GREEN OR BROWN.**

**It's unrealistic that lili would give into the serpent kids so easily. like she's kidnapped by them, and next chapter she's fighting for her "family"**

**im excited to give this a little 2020 spritz! :D **

**Author's Note:**

> Cole, KJ and Camila (and later, Lili - spoilers) are their cover names. 
> 
> I'll be updating this every day, so not to spam the ao3 feed.


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